Finding the Truth
by FeudalRanma
Summary: What if there was more to Ranma's heritage that not even Genma knew? A chance encounter is all it takes for doors that no one knew existed to open. Will Ranma stick with what he knows or change course? The strangers he meets offer him what no one has before: a choice.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.**_

Ranma let out a sigh of relief as he spied Shampoo fly past the entrance to the alley he had ducked into without stopping. As soon as he had heard the tinkling of the bike bell he had made a break for it. Call him paranoid but he didn't want to chance running into the Amazon girl.

Though this time the paranoia he had developed had paid off.

He waited a few moments more before making his way towards the entrance of the alley, looking in the direction he'd seen her going to make sure she wasn't still on the street. Not seeing her around, he darted out of the alley and quickly made his way home.

Jumping onto the closest fence, he glanced around, keeping an eye out for any of his fiancée's or rivals. He let out another sigh as his mind drifted to the situation he found himself in. He wanted out but couldn't think of a way to extricate himself from the issues that were surrounding him.

He oftentimes wondered how he managed to get himself into the situations he did.

Granted the whole fiancées thing wasn't entirely his fault.

His father was to blame for two of them. At least they had managed to get the mess with Kaori resolved relatively quickly but then after Ukyo had showed up, he had to wonder how many times his father had given away his hand in exchange for filling his belly. He growled to himself as he thought about it. Essentially selling your only son's hand for some okonomiyaki or some rice and fish! What kind of father was he anyway!

For all Ranma knew, Genma had given him away to half the families in Japan by now.

But apparently none of that meant much to Genma. Even though he had done this and essentially voided the agreement he had made with Soun Tendo he still expected Ranma to marry Akane. And since the whole mess with the other fiancees had started, they were pushing it even harder.

And anything Ranma said fell on deaf ears.

Didn't they realise that he didn't want any of this. He didn't want to get married, not this young anyway.

He jumped off the end of the fence, carrying on across the street as he realised that he was going to have to get serious about the whole mess. The problem was he didn't want to hurt any of them. Or should he say, he didn't want them to hurt him. Again. He remembered how vicious the girls could get, the whole mess when Happosai had made everyone believe his mother had come for him springing into his mind. For some reason they thought that attacking _him_ was going to help.

Dealing with them was going to be difficult. If he said the wrong thing, as he so often did, it would only make things worse for him in the end.

Ukyo was going to be the hardest for him. He didn't want to hurt her. He still thought of her as a friend as he had when they had been children but her insistence that she was his fiancée and _she_ was the one he was going to marry was putting a strain on that friendship. He was finding it harder and harder to be around her. For her part though, she saw her claim as true. His father had promised him to her in exchange for her father's cart and he had reneged. She saw herself reclaiming what had been promised to her.

Kodachi wasn't really an issue, he thought to himself. Nothing was tying him to her apart from her own delusional little fantasies. He hadn't been promised to her nor had an engagement happened through any other means. Didn't mean he wasn't wary of her though. He shuddered as he remembered being stuck on the roof all night after being hit with that paralysis gas.

Shampoo was going to be a problem. Not only did the Amazon girl have their laws running through her head she also had her great-grandmother backing her up with her incessant 'son-in-law' every time she saw him. He didn't understand their laws. Why would anyone want to marry someone they knew could defeat them in combat? He reasoned that it was probably from when their tribe was first formed, wanting the men in the tribe to be able to prove they could provide for their families but from what he had seen, both from Shampoo and Cologne, it was the women that were the warriors, not the men.

It didn't make any sense to him.

He stopped as he saw the Tendo dojo, his mind flicking to Akane. Of all his fiancée's she was the most like him. Sure they fought all the time and he could probably count the amount of times they had had a conversation that hadn't turned violent but in his mind, he reasoned that was because they both had such fiery personalities.

He couldn't stop another sigh as he thought about Akane. Of all his fiancee's she was the one that he could actually see himself with. When he thought about getting married lately, it was Akane he saw in his mind but he doubted it would happen. Of all four girls, she was the only one that never fought for him.

With all the others fighting over him like he was a prize to be won, she stood back and let them fight. Either she felt secure enough in the thought that she and Ranma would be married, not feeling the need to fight with the others or she just didn't care.

He didn't know which one he would prefer.

While he had enjoyed the thought that he had all these girls fighting over him to begin with – be honest, what sixteen-year-old boy wouldn't enjoy beautiful girls fighting over him – now it was tiresome and he wanted to be left alone.

"Ranma-kun, is everything okay?" He turned, seeing Kasumi walking down the street, a full bag in her hand. She had most likely just come back from the market with ingredients for that evening's dinner.

"Hello Kasumi-san," he gave her a small smile as she stopped next to him in front of the Tendo dojo gate. "Nothing's wrong, just thinking, I guess."

"Nothing too serious, I hope," she gave him a smile before walking through the gate leaving it open for him to follow. He shook his head, closing the gate behind him as they both entered the house. He dropped his bag as he removed his shoes, seeing Kasumi slipping her feet into the slippers she normally wore around the house. He never bothered with those like the rest of them did. He preferred to go barefoot where he could.

He followed Kasumi through the house, seeing his father and Tendo playing their usual game of shogi. What was unusual was that his father was actually in his true form rather than the panda form he appeared to prefer. Ranma rolled his eyes at the thought of his old man hiding out as a panda. So much for the honour of a martial artist he was always going on about.

He settled himself down at the table, pulling his books out of his bag, dreading the thought of his homework. He had never had to worry about it before – other than the short time he had been in junior high – so had never had the incessant battle with homework that others had. Of course, he had it now. It had been Kasumi that had scared him into doing his homework when he had first started at Furinkan High School by threatening that if he didn't get all of it done before he settled into his after school work out, she would leave the cooking of his meals to Akane. The thought made him shudder. She had also ensured that he wouldn't be disturbed by his father by issuing the same threat.

"You're home late, boy." His father grumbled from where he was eyeing the shogi board in front of him.

"Had stuff to do." He mumbled back, resting his head on his hand as he attempted to work through the calculations in front of him. He hated math.

"Having trouble, Ranma-kun?" He let out a sigh as he heard Nabiki behind him.

"I'm fine, Nabiki-san," he responded, checking his answers so far in the back of the textbook. He was pleased to find that he had only missed one of them so far. Maths had never really been his strong suit, not having needed it before. "Besides, I don't think I could afford your fees."

She let out a chuckle at his words, shrugging before walking off to her room to do her own homework.

Ranma rolled his eyes as he heard the shouts coming from the dojo, knowing that she would be taking out whatever anger she had on defenseless blocks. He had no idea why she did that. It wasn't as though it did anything other than waste bricks. He shook his head as he finished his homework, packing his books back in his bag.

He spent the rest of the afternoon in the dojo, working through his katas steadfastly ignoring Akane as she glared at him. He knew that he was better than she was and she knew it too. Not that she would ever admit it. She had spent her life secluded in Nerima, having to teach herself after her mother's death while he had spent the majority of his life on the road, training with his father, pushing themselves further and harder. True the training hadn't really been ideal but it had made him as strong as he was so he could appreciate it.

He had offered to help her improve her technique and timings, genuinely worried about her welfare. With her hair-trigger temper she could get into a lot of trouble and if she challenged the wrong person even the tiniest misstep could be fatal.

But she, as per usual Akane, had jumped to the conclusion that he was rubbing it in that he was better than her, jumping down his throat and not letting him explain his reasons. Since that incident he hadn't bothered. She constantly bugged him to spar with her, getting angry when he did nothing but dodge her attacks. Strong she may be but he didn't hit girls.

It wasn't too much later that they were all sitting down for dinner, Akane glaring at Ranma as he tucked into his meal.

"So why were you so late back, boy?" His father asked as Kasumi refilled his rice bowl. It was the only time he wasn't shovelling food into his mouth.

"Does it have anything to do with Shampoo asking after you?" Nabiki asked, a sly grin on her face. Ranma coughed as everyone turned to look at him.

"You were with Shampoo?" Akane growled and Ranma rolled his eyes.

"If by 'with' you mean hiding from, yeah." He mumbled back, finishing his bowl of rice and placing it down in front of him.

"I just bet you were."

"Excuse me!" He turned to face the angry girl beside him. He had no idea what she was so angry about seeing as he hadn't actually done anything wrong. Typical Akane though, she never waited for an explanation. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"Only that you're never in a hurry to get away from her," she shot back, "or any of the others for that matter." The last part was nothing more than a mumble but Ranma caught her words. Clearly she only saw what she wanted to, not what was really happening in front of her.

"If _this_ is what I have to come home to, what do you expect?" He muttered, rolling his eyes.

That was the last thing he uttered before Akane's mallet was rushing at him, striking him with more force than usual, causing him to fly out into the rain that had just begun to fall.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

"Damn rain," a young man, appearing to be in his mid-twenties but in reality much older grumbled as the rain tapered off and he shook his head lightly, several drops of water spraying out in every direction.

He stopped, pulling his long black hair over his shoulder, wringing it out as best he could, before allowing it to fall down his back in the low ponytail he usually wore. He sighed, knowing he'd have to dry it out properly once he got home.

Turning to look at the canal, he leaned on the fence, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Though he hated being caught out in it, he loved the scents that rose after the rain. He frowned as he caught a scent he wasn't expecting.

The scent of blood.

His eyes snapping open, he looked down towards the bank of the canal in the direction the scent had come from.

Clearing the fence with ease, he sniffed the air again, following the scent and stopping short when he caught sight of a young girl, unconscious on the bank. There was a small cut on her forehead but he couldn't determine whether that was why she was unconscious.

Approaching the girl, he stopped once again, drawing in a breath as her scent became more clear to him.

"It can't be," he murmured, kneeling down next to her, lifting her gently. She wasn't familiar to him but the scent of her was. Whoever she was, he couldn't leave her here, soaking wet and unconscious.

He gently lifted her, taking care not to jostle her head too much before bending his powerful legs and leaping higher than any human could ever hope back towards the shrine he called home.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.**_

Ranma's eyes scrunched tightly as consciousness returned to him. He could feel the warmth of the sun on his face and without opening his eyes realised that he was laying on something soft, a thick blanket covering him.

"I understand what you're saying but . . . are you absolutely sure?" He heard a feminine voice ask softly. It wasn't a voice he recognised, having heard the females in the Tendo house for so long he would be able to pick them out without any trouble.

"Come on, Kagome, have you ever known my nose to be wrong?" A male voice answered her, sounding confident over something. There was a short silence before a small snort sounded. "You can't blame me for that. I'd _just_ woken up if you remember correctly. _And_ I quickly figured out the truth."

"But she's a girl."

"I know," he heard the male sigh gently. "That's what's confusing me. She may be female but her scent is most definitely male and-"

"And what?"

"And she's waking up." He heard two sets of footsteps moving towards him, slowly opening his eyes.

He didn't recognise the room he was in, the walls a pale green and white curtains blowing gently in the breeze coming in from the slightly open window. He turned his head, looking around the room, seeing an older couple, looking in their mid-twenties enter the room. These must be the two he'd heard before.

He sat up slowly as the woman walked over to him, kneeling beside the futon he was on. "How are you feeling?" She asked, giving him a warm smile.

"Umm . . . I'm okay." He looked between the two of them again, seeing the guy giving him a slightly suspicious look. He couldn't help but think he looked familiar even though he couldn't place where he had seen him before. He looked back to the woman in front of him, seeing nothing but warmth in her deep brown eyes. "But how did I get here?"

"You were down by the canal," she explained softly, "Inuyasha-kun found you and brought you here." She gestured towards the man standing in the doorway. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Taisho Kagome and this is my husband, Taisho Inuyasha."

"Saotome Ranma," he supplied with a small nod in lieu of a more formal bow, not noticing the look exchanged between the couple at his name. "I was down by the canal?"

"Yeah, got no idea how you got there but when I found ya, you were unconscious." He stepped into the room, stopping behind his wife and looking down at the teenager in front of him. "Any idea how you got there?"

He thought for a moment before realising that Akane must have hit him harder with her mallet than he'd thought. He relayed what had happened and the two of them looked completely appalled at his story.

"I'm sorry," Inuyasha shook his head, having heard some things in his long life but never someone being hit so hard with a mallet that they had flown for miles. "She hit you with a mallet? And you ended up by the canal?" Ranma nodded and the two of them looked at each other again.

"I know we've been through some weird stuff but never thought about hitting you with a mallet." Kagome quipped with a small giggle and Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"You didn't need it." He grumbled crossing his arms as Kagome laughed.

"Where am I exactly?" Ranma asked watching the two of them. He couldn't help but notice how comfortable the two of them were together. Being husband and wife you would expect it. Sighing softly to himself he didn't think he'd ever feel like that with his proclaimed fiancée's.

"You're at the Higurashi Shrine." Kagome supplied and he thought about where the shrine was in comparison to the dojo. "You've been unconscious since Inuyasha found you last night. I'm sure there are people that are very worried about you." Ranma snorted mentally, wondering if that were true. The only one he could see expressing genuine concern for his well-being might be Kasumi. "I think we should at least let your family know you're alright."

He nodded and gave her the phone number for the Tendo Dojo and she walked out of the room, leaving Ranma and Inuyasha alone together. The older man was still giving Ranma a slightly curious look as if trying to figure him out. If Ranma had to admit, there was something about the man standing in front of him that made him slightly uncomfortable. Sure he had taken care of him when he needed help but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something not quite right about his saviour. Even without trying, Ranma could tell that he had a powerful aura and it was completely different to anything he'd felt before.

"So, I got a question," Inuyasha looked Ranma square in the eye as he broke the lingering silence, his gaze not wavering as he watched the teenager. "How does a female smell completely like a male?"

"Huh?" Ranma looked down, noticing for the first time that he was in his cursed form. He swallowed as he looked back up at Inuyasha who had his deep brown eyes fixed on Ranma.

"You heard me. How do you smell like a male when you are clearly female?" He repeated his question and Ranma took a deep breath.

"Inuyasha," Kagome walked back into the room, a slight reprimand in her tone. She also carried a tea tray with her. It carried three cups, a kettle and a small pouch. She kneeled down in front of Ranma, placing the tray in front of her. "Apologies, Saotome-chan, he can get a little impatient."

"Ranma, please." He looked at both of them, indicating that they should both use his given name. "Don't worry about it. I know the feeling." He shrugged, giving the two of them a small smile.

"I've called your family. They were extremely happy to know that you're alright," Kagome gave him a comforting smile. "They were really worried about you." Ranma nodded absently at her words, thinking about those at the Tendo dojo. He had a feeling that the only one who would be genuinely worried was Kasumi. Since he had arrived, she had been the only one that hadn't expected anything of him or pushed him to do anything. Tendo-san and his pop would only worry because if he didn't come back then their dreams of a cushy retirement while he and Akane ran the dojo would be out the window. Nabiki probably hadn't even noticed he wasn't there, busying herself with whatever scam or blackmail scheme she was running. Ever the mercenary. And Akane. She would probably just blame anything on him as she always did.

He didn't know how much more of that he could take.

Mentally shaking himself, clearing his mind of those thoughts, he watched as Inuyasha walked to sit on the other side of the tea tray, lowering himself with a fluidity Ranma hadn't seen before, even though his long training journey, seating himself next to the futon Ranma was on as Kagome poured the water into the cups. Two of them coloured immediately with tea but the other stayed just as water. She picked up the pouch and opened it, Inuyasha's nose wrinkling immediately at the scent.

"That's not the same stuff Kaede-baba used to use, is it?" He asked, leaning away as she mixed the herbs in with the water she had poured. Ranma didn't understand his reaction to the mixture. Yes, he could smell it and it didn't smell all too good but it didn't warrant that reaction, did it? Kagome nodded, moving the cup away from Inuyasha slightly as she waited for it to brew before handing it to Ranma.

"Here," she said softly as he took it from her. "It may not taste great but this will help you get your strength back."

"Hey, it works but that stuff is nasty," Inuyasha shuddered and Kagome rolled her eyes, a small teasing smile on her face. "It's best to just drink it all in one go."

"I think I'll let it cool down a bit first." Ranma laughed, gesturing towards the steam and Kagome nodded. "Umm . . ."

"Is everything okay, Ranma-kun?" Kagome asked as she sipped her own tea.

"It's about Taisho-sama's question," he bit his lip nervous. He hadn't willingly told anyone about his curse before. "About my scent."

"Call me Inuyasha," he waved off the title. "We're not very formal around here." Kagome nodded, giggling lightly.

Ranma nodded, looking to the kettle. He took a deep breath. "Is there any water left in the kettle?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the young girl on the futon in front of him, curious as to why she wanted the kettle water when her tea was still steaming. "But it's hot."

"I know." She looked down at the cup in her hand, placing it on the floor to the side of the futon and gesturing for the kettle.

Kagome looked puzzled as she handed the young red head the kettle while Inuyasha looked concerned, his eyes narrowing even further wanting to be wrong about the young girl in front of him. Kagome's eyes widened as the girl poured the hot contents of the kettle over her head, the change immediate.

Ranma felt the instant physical change that happened whenever he went from his cursed form to his true form or vice versa. He kept his eyes closed as he waited for them to take in what they'd seen. No one really reacted well to seeing his curse, especially not the first time.

"Jusenkyo," his eyes flew open at the almost canine growl that came from Inuyasha. He saw the man's eyes filled with a mixture of anger and sadness.

"Um yeah." He said rather pointlessly as Inuyasha at least seemed to know exactly what had happened. He had to wonder just how as most people didn't believe it until they saw it happen a couple of times. Unless your name was Kuno and had seen it more times than you could count and still didn't believe it.

"Damn it!" Ranma had to admit he jumped as Inuyasha's fist found its way through wood of the floor.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded, her eyes narrowing at the sight of her husband's hand wrist deep in the floor. He sighed, pulling his hand out and Ranma blinked, seeing that there was not a scratch on his hand. Plough through walls and such he might but not even he managed to get away without at least one scratch. "Mama's not going to be happy that we have to fix the floor. Again!"

"I _told_ Sesshomaru that we needed to get rid of those damn springs!" Inuyasha growled, folding his arms across his chest as he tried to calm down.

"But Yasha, they're in China." Kagome shifted towards him, placing a hand on his tense shoulder. "Even if you could have got there, there wouldn't have been much you could do. The Western Lands don't stretch that far."

"There's no telling how many have fallen in," he muttered, levelling his deep brown eyes at Ranma. "Are there any others that you know of?"

"Um . . ." Ranma hesitated, wondering if it was his place to tell others of the rest of the Jusenkyo cursed. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the boy and Ranma reasoned that the couple already knew of the springs and apparently the man in front of him knew what they could do. "Well, my pop was also cursed the same day I was. He turns into a panda."

"Excuse me? Did you say a panda?" Kagome's eyes widened at the thought before letting out a small giggle. "I'm sorry."

Ranma waved her off. "There's also a boy I know who turns into a duck, a girl who turns into a cat," he couldn't repress the shudder at the thought of Shampoo's cursed form, "and another boy who turns into a pig."

"Huh," Inuyasha sat there for a moment, before giving a small smirk. "Well, at least you remain human."

"Yeah," Ranma responded glumly, hating it every time he transformed into a girl.

"So . . . a girl, a panda, a pig, a duck and a cat." Kagome let out a small, amused breath. "And I thought _we_ were a rag-tag bunch."

"We _were,_ " Inuyasha countered. "How many groups like ours do you think there were wandering around?" Kagome shrugged, picking up her tea and taking a long sip.

Ranma picked up the tea as Inuyasha wrinkled his nose, his distaste clear. "Like I said, drink it down in one go. It works like nothing else but man, it's nasty." Kagome nodded, a sympathetic expression on her face. Ranma looked at the drink in front of him, wrinkling his nose and swallowing the herbal mixture in several large swallows. He coughed at the rancid taste, gratefully taking the glass of water Kagome offered him. "Told ya. But hey, like I said, it works."

"Definitely did for you." Inuyasha shrugged at Kagome's words.

Ranma shook his head as he tried to get the aftertaste out of his mouth, coughing once more, seeming to glare at the cup that had held the tea. "Damn, that was gross."

Inuyasha chuckled as Kagome gathered up the now empty tea cups and placing them on the tray. "You should start to feel much better soon." She stood gracefully and Ranma noticed that Inuyasha kept an eye on her, protective even when in their own home. "I know your family is getting worried about you so once you're up to it, Inuyasha can walk you home."

"You don't have to do that. I'll be fine getting home." Ranma protested and Inuyasha snorted as Kagome shook her head.

"Not after a bump like that," she told him sternly, as a mother would her child. "I don't care how often you get whacked in the head, it's not safe for you to be by yourself after being unconscious for so long. Besides, I told the young lady that answered the phone that my husband would be making sure you got home safely."

"Kid," Inuyasha tilted his head at the teenager, clearly amused, "best not to argue. She always gets her way in the end. Besides, I don't mind making sure you get home alright."

Looking between the amused smirk on Inuyasha's face and the stern 'no arguments' look from Kagome, Ranma knew he wasn't going to win against the older couple. It was strange how he had no problem arguing with Tendo-san or his own father but when two practical strangers insisted on something, he felt he had to comply.

Maybe it was because they'd gone out of their way to help him when they could have just taken him to the hospital and been done with it.

Or left him there like many of his so called friends would have done.

Had done before.

He was surprised to notice that after drinking the rancid concoction, he _did_ feel better. Though he now understood Inuyasha's reaction to it.

"Come on, let's get ya home before it gets dark." Inuyasha stood, waiting for Ranma to follow before heading down the hallway.

"Inuyasha, Mama had to run out to get something for dinner but she said she won't be too long," Kagome met them down in front of the front door. He nodded as he slipped into his shoes, waiting for Ranma to do the same. Kagome gave her husband a quick kiss on the cheek as they left, telling Ranma not to hesitate if he needed anything.

Watching the two of them head down the shrine steps, Kagome quietly closed the door, immediately sensing the yokai behind her.

"So," she didn't turn at the sound of the smooth, cold as ice voice behind her, "you've found him."

"We have, oniisan, we have."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.**_

"You really don't have to walk me home, you know," Ranma glanced towards the man walking beside him, feeling a little more than embarrassed. He was a martial artist, one of the best around and the best at the Anything Goes Martial Arts style. He didn't need someone to walk him home.

"I kinda do," Inuyasha snorted in reply. "If you hadn't noticed, my wife was kinda set on it. You'll understand when you get married." Ranma stiffened at the thought of being married and his situation with his fiancée's. "Something I said?" Ranma sighed, shaking his head. "Look, we got a long walk to get you home. You in some kind of trouble?"

"What do you mean?" Ranma turned to look at the man, seeing his raised eyebrow, his cheeks colouring as he realised what he meant. "No! No, no nothing like that!"

"Then what?" The black haired man chuckled lightly, wondering what the young man was so worked up about. "Come on, maybe an outside perspective could help."

"Well . . ." With that Ranma told Inuyasha all about his situation with the girls and how his father had seemed to engage him to half of Japan while they were on their training trip, oftentimes just to feed his hungry belly. He told him all about Shampoo and the ridiculous Amazon laws stating that he had to marry her because he had defeated her and she had given him the 'Kiss of Marriage' even though she had been knocked out with her own weapon. He told him all about how it wasn't just Shampoo he had to deal with but her great-grandmother egging her on and Mousse (Inuyasha chuckled at the name) continuously attacking him for stealing 'his Shampoo' even though he didn't want her in the first place. He told the other man all about Kodachi and how she scared the living daylights out of him and her brother who was always attacking him to try and get him to release Akane and 'the pig-tailed girl' completed unaware of the fact that the two of them were one and the same.

He then moved on to Ukyo and how he valued her as a friend but nothing more but nothing he did or said seemed to get her to understand that. He didn't want to lose her friendship but he didn't know what else to do to get her to drop the whole fiancée thing.

And then he moved on to Akane. With her he didn't know how to start. Inuyasha didn't really have a high opinion of her considering she was the one that had hit Ranma hard enough with a mallet to knock him several miles and render him unconscious for a day. Ranma admitted that maybe he didn't handle Akane as well as he should have and probably deserved some of the whacks that she gave him but there were so many times that she had just jumped to conclusions, not waiting for him to even try to explain something that wasn't his fault. The physical pain he could handle, but there was only so much ones' spirit could take. And Ranma was almost at breaking point.

Listening to the young man as he talked, Inuyasha couldn't help but feel sorry for him. It seemed that the people around him threw whatever they wanted to at him but never really stopped to survey the damage they were causing. He winced a little when Ranma admitted to calling Akane 'un-cute' whenever she made him mad but as he spoke, Inuyasha realised that he wasn't talking about her looks but her character and attitude towards him. After hearing the young man talk, he was rethinking taking him home.

Especially with what he had come to very quickly realise.

Ranma felt lighter when he finished, feeling a little embarrassed at having carried on the way he had. Inuyasha waved him off as he tried to apologise, stating that sometimes you just needed to let go. He didn't know whether it was because Inuyasha was a stranger and therefore had no opinion on what happened or whether it was the relaxed demeanour the slightly older man gave off but Ranma felt at ease around him. More so than he did with the other people in his life. They were constantly trying to force him into something he didn't want or trying to kill him.

Neither of which held much appeal.

"Well," Ranma sighed, "here we are." They stopped outside the dojo gate, Inuyasha making a quick mental note of the location in regards to the shrine. It wasn't too far so that he couldn't get back on his own but it was far enough away for Ranma to have some kind of retreat if needs be.

"Hey, kid," Ranma turned to face Inuyasha as they walked down the path, "this might sound a little weird but if you ever wanna get away from all the madness, the shrine door is always open to ya."

"You sure?" Ranma's eyes widened slightly at the offer.

Inuyasha shrugged, crossing his arms behind his head as Ranma often did himself. "Look after what you just told me, I'm surprised you ain't half insane. Everyone needs a place to chill every now and then. And you really think anyone would look for ya in a shrine?" Ranma shook his head. "Besides, Kagome likes ya and I got the feeling that if you didn't come back she'd come hunt ya down."

"I've got enough of that, thank you very much," Ranma chuckled nervously and Inuyasha nodded, a small smirk on his face. "Thank you, Inuyasha-san."

"No problem, kid."

The two of them looked towards the house as the light came on, signalling someone coming into the porch. Ranma and Inuyasha walked towards the door, Ranma sliding it open and allowing Inuyasha to enter first before following and sliding the door closed with a soft snick.

"Oh Ranma-kun, I'm glad you're alright," Ranma smiled at Kasumi, hearing the genuine relief in her voice as she looked him over. She dropped into a bow as she saw Inuyasha standing there beside him. "Thank you for taking care of Ranma-kun."

"Don't worry about it," Inuyasha waved her off as she stood up, nodding her head with a gentle smile that always seemed to grace her kind face and walking back into the kitchen.

Ranma gestured for Inuyasha to follow him and the two young men walked into the main room, seeing the usual scene in front of them. Tendo-san and Genma were sitting playing a game of shogi, Nabiki was working out some kind of sums in front of her – probably a tally from one of her latest schemes – and they could hear faint yells of frustration coming from the dojo. Thankfully the old letch didn't appear to be anywhere around. He was probably tormenting some girls' dorm somewhere.

"So, you're back, boy." His father addressed him, not looking away from the board in front of him.

"Obviously," he shot back, his arms crossing in over his chest.

"Ranma-kun, aren't you going to introduce us?" Kasumi asked as she entered the main room.

"Sorry," he glanced at Inuyasha, who smirked at him. "Inuyasha-sama, this is Tendo Soun, his daughters Kasumi-chan and Nabiki-chan and this is my father, Saotome Genma. Everyone, this is Taisho Inuyasha. He and his wife found and looked after me last night."

As he looked up to look at the young man, Genma was the only one that noticed the young stranger's eyes narrowed at him. It unnerved him as the man was familiar and yet not. He was sure that he'd never seen him before. He just hoped he wasn't someone he'd scammed during his travels with Ranma who had come to track them down.

"Taisho-sama, you must join us for dinner," Kasumi beamed as she extended the invitation. "As a thanks for looking after Ranma-kun."

"Thank you for the offer," he gave her a small bow of thanks, "but my wife and mother-in-law have dinner waiting for me at home."

"Well, you and your wife must come to dinner another time." Ranma had to admit, hard-headedness was definitely a Tendo trait, even if it exerted itself in different ways. If Kasumi had decided she was going to cook for someone, she would get them to that table no matter what. "Who knows what could have happened to Ranma if you hadn't found him?" Ranma let out an almost silent groan. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate that she was worried about him but did he have to make him sound so weak?

"I'll pass the message along." Inuyasha nodded once again and Kasumi returned it, seeming satisfied with the answer. "It was nice meeting you all but I must be going." Ranma showed him out, walking him to the door. "Remember what I said, kid," he said quietly, placing a hand on the teens shoulder. "If you ever need a place to escape for a little while." Ranma nodded, grateful as Inuyasha walked through the door and out the front gate.

Inuyasha waited for the gate to click closed before he ran, powerful legs propelling him faster than the human eye could follow. The few people he passed on the way back to the shrine knew nothing more than a brief gust of wind as he passed, clothes ruffling at the sudden shift of air.

He made it back to the shrine in a fraction of the time it had taken to walk there with Ranma, all human pretext other than his appearance gone. He leaped up the stairs clearing them in one large push from the base to the top. He ran towards the house sitting in the grounds, quietly entering through the front door, immediately catching his brother's aura and scent as he removed his shoes and made his way to the main living room, calling out a greeting to Kagome's mother as she worked in the kitchen making dinner.

"Well, brother?" He sat down next to Kagome, across from Sesshomaru, removing the ring that rested on his right index finger, the concealment spell attached to it melting away.

Kagome watched with a small smile on her face as his black hair turned to silver, the human ears that rested on the side of his head disappearing and the adorable dog ears she loved so much appearing atop his head. She knew that the deep brown eyes that adorned his face when under the concealment spell had bled back into the vibrant amber and she could now see the elegant claws that tipped his fingers, powerful and strong. As always, her eyes flicked to the purple slashes that ran across his cheekbones, no longer the jagged stripes that had appeared with his first transformations but now the smooth and elegant markings of an inu-youkai. She pushed away the memories of the moment the markings became permanent that always tried to make their way to the surface when she hadn't seen them for a while. What with the visitors to the shrine, he spent far more time in his human appearance than he did his hanyou.

While she had to admit, he was extremely attractive in his human appearance, it was the hanyou she had fallen in love with.

"It's him," he said simply and Kagome let out a small gasp, biting her lip to try and control her tears. "If I hadn't known it before, seeing his father sure as hell convinced me."

"What is your plan, then?" Sesshomaru asked as Inuyasha wrapped an arm around Kagome, pulling her to him in comfort. "Do you wish to tell him the truth?"

"In time, yes." Inuyasha sighed, downy ears twitching slightly. "But I think we need to be cautious. Let him come to us to begin with. He told me some of what's going on in his life right now and he's got a hell of a lot happening."

"What do you mean?" Kagome pulled back slightly, looking up at the hanyou she called her own.

"His life . . . chaos is the only way I could describe it." Inuyasha turned to look at Kagome as her jaw clenched. "He's being pulled in so many directions he doesn't know which way is up. I told him that if he ever needed to get away, then he could come here for some peace."

"Providing him with an escape," Sesshomaru smirked, seeing his little brother's plan. "Giving him allies in a world where he may not be able to see them."

Inuyasha nodded, not surprised his brother had followed his train of thought so quickly. He knew now that they were not so different. There had been a time, long ago, that he would have been insulted at the very inclination that he and Sesshomaru had any kind of similarities other than their father's blood and appearances. As he had gotten older and the animosity and hatred between the two Inu's had faded to become feelings of family and brotherly love (not that either of them would _ever_ admit that to anybody) he had come to see that they did have much in common besides being the sons' of their father.

"Of all of them there, there was only one girl that seemed to care that he was okay. I don't know if that's because they don't care or because they just don't show it but . . . it's not right." He felt himself tensing at the lack of reception there had been in the house when Ranma had returned.

"Don't go making _another_ hole in the floor, Yasha." Kagome chided and he made himself relax, ignoring his brother's smirk. Like he was one to talk. Rin had him wrapped around her little finger. "Maybe if we tell him about us."

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha looked down at her as she bit down on her lip.

"You said that his life seems chaotic, right?" Inuyasha nodded, ears twitching slightly and she had to resist the urge to reach up and run her fingers over the soft silver fur encasing them. It was a problem she'd had ever since she had first seen him pinned to the Goshinboku five hundred years before.

And it wasn't just because she loved the sounds he made when she rubbed in just the right spot.

"Well, maybe hearing about someone else's life might make him seem more at ease with his own situation," she suggested earning raised eyebrows from the demons present.

"What? Like 'hey, I know your life seems like it's a mess but how about a story of a girl who fell down a well and ended up five hundred years in the past'?" Inuyasha questioned and she shrugged as if challenging him to come up with a better idea. He thought about it for a moment.

"If you're going to tell him the truth, maybe it is best if you tell him the story." Sesshomaru supplied and Inuyasha hummed in response. To the demons of the world, Sesshomaru may still be the Lord of the West with Inuyasha as his heir apparent due to Sesshomaru and Rin only having had one daughter but the three of them knew, in the end, the decision was Inuyasha's to be made.

It was a matter of family, after all.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

"Ranma-kun?" He paused as he made to walk out the door, turning to face Kasumi as she stood behind him. He needed to get going otherwise he was going to be late for school . . . again. And he really didn't feel like holding buckets this morning. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind extending the invitation to dinner tomorrow night to Taisho-sama and his wife. I really do feel bad about not being able to properly thank them for looking after you."

He flushed a little at the reminder that they had needed to take care of him like that in the first place. He hated that he had been so vulnerable, especially in his female form. What if it hadn't been Inuyasha-san that had found him but someone with less than honourable intentions. He repressed a shudder at the thought of where he could have wound up.

He nodded at her request, stating that he would go round after school and see if they were free and Kasumi beamed at him, retreating back into the house. He waited until she had gone back inside before bolting out the door, not even bothering to use the fences as he normally did.

It had been a week since Inuyasha and Kagome had taken care of him after Akane's mallet attack. He found his thoughts straying to the couple more often than he could count. There was something about the two of them that stuck in his mind. He felt as though he should know them somehow, that they were familiar to him but he was certain he didn't know them. He didn't dare ask his father. Knowing Genma, he had managed to swindle them or a family member of theirs out of something previous and as soon as he mentioned it, they would probably want it back.

He shook his head as he ran. No, most of the people that came after Genma had actively sought him out. Inuyasha had found Ranma by chance. As a girl. If they actually _knew_ Genma then they would have known he had a son.

But then Inuyasha had known about Jusenkyo.

That was something he had to ask the older man about.

And then there was the thing with his scent. Inuyasha had clearly caught the male scent coming off of him. Not that he was too upset by that. He was glad that even though the rest of his body changed, his scent was still remarkably male.

He coughed, spluttering slightly as he found himself covered in cold water and now undoubtedly female. Without slowing, he pulled a thermos out of his pack and poured it over his head, feeling the shift back to his male form as he ran, tucking the thermos back into his bag. It had been an idea of Kasumi's to carry that around after she noted that his curse seemed to almost _attract_ water.

He couldn't say he disagreed with her.

For once he made it to school with time to spare, neatly flattening Kuno who came at him with his daily challenge to 'unhand the pig-tailed girl', leaving him face down in the entrance yard before entering the school. Ranma shook his head as he slipped his outdoor shoes off, switching them over and placing them into his cubby hole, thinking about how, like Akane, Kuno never seemed to alter his attacks. It was always the same thing every morning.

No imagination.

"Ranma!" He turned to see Akane coming towards him, a frustrated look on her face. "What was that about this morning?"

"What do you mean?" He tried to think about what he could have done or said that would have aggravated her before leaving the house. When nothing came to mind, he shrugged, waiting for her to answer.

"On the way to school, you just ran past," she slipped off her outside shoes and, like him, swapped them for her school shoes. "Didn't you hear me calling you?"

"Sorry," he shrugged, honestly not having heard her. "Was thinking about some stuff and trying to not be late. Didn't see you."

She shot him a look not seeing or hearing any deception. Brilliant at many things he may be but lying was not one of them. Realising he was telling the truth, she let it drop.

"So what did Kasumi-chan want before you left?" She asked as they walked into their classroom.

"She wanted me to ask Inuyasha-san and Kagome-san round for dinner tomorrow night." He explained as he slipped into his seat behind his desk, eyeing Akane as she did the same. She hadn't been too pleased to find out that the older man had left without being introduced to her and she had made that known.

"So, I actually get to meet them this time?" She bit out, obviously still smarting.

"No one else has met Kagome-san as it was just Inuyasha-sama that came back to the dojo," Ranma sighed, not wanting _another_ fight with the girl. He didn't have the energy for it anymore. "And it wasn't _my_ fault you were out in the dojo. He had his own dinner waiting for him at home. He had to go." She let out a huff and didn't comment, turning her head away as the teacher walked into the room.

He let out a sigh, oddly grateful that Kasumi had asked him to pay a visit to the shrine after school. He was thinking about taking Inuyasha up on his offer of a place to de-stress.

Thankfully he had managed to avoid Shampoo for the last few days, hiding out whenever she decided to deliver some ramen to the dojo, not trusting that she wouldn't jump on him or that the ramen wasn't spiked with some kind of potion like those mushrooms or something worse. Ukyo had been harder to avoid considering she was in the same class as he and Akane but he still tried to make himself scarce during lunchtimes. He had taken to spending a lot of time in the park to avoid everyone else.

It had worked so far but he knew it wouldn't hold up for much longer.

He wondered if Inuyasha's offer was still on the table.

He managed to make it through the day with only one accidental transformation, courtesy of Daisuke in the lunch room. The teen had failed to lace his shoes up correctly after gym and had subsequently tripped and the contents of the water bottle he was carrying flying all over everyone at the table, including Ranma. Thankfully a quick trip to the nurses' office for some hot water had sorted that out. Ranma had become quite a regular in there after the occasional mishap so since his curse had been discovered, she always had some hot water on hand.

Not too bad a day, all in all.

He waved Akane off as she asked whether he wanted her to come with him to Inuyasha's, not wanting her to have any inclination of where he was going. He intended to find out whether the shrine was still open to him and possibly hide away there for a few hours.

He managed to find it with little difficulty as he asked one person for directions when not recognising the street he was on before turning down a street he _did_ remember from his walk back with Inuyasha. He saw the mountain of steps and the huge shrine gate at the top, wondering if they'd added more since he had left the week before.

Making it to the top, feeling a slight burn in his legs from the repetitive action of climbing so many stairs, he stopped and looked around the spacious yard in front of him. He hadn't really been able to have a look the week before.

He noticed one or two people coming out of a large building he guessed was the actual shrine itself, his gaze moving from that to a large tree, standing tall over the grounds. He also noticed a small building which from the bar across the door and the large padlock securing it in place, looked to have been locked up pretty well. His curiosity made him wonder what could be in there.

Finally, he turned towards the house, walking over to it and knocking on the door. He started when an older woman with short brown hair and large welcoming eyes opened the door. She was wearing an apron and wiping her hands on a towel, much in the same way Kasumi did when she had just left the kitchen. Her mouth opened slightly as she saw him, stilling in surprise as her eyes scanned his face.

"Hello, there," she smiled at him, her deep brown eyes shining at him.

"Um . . . hi, I was looking for Inuyasha-sama." He felt a little uncomfortable as the woman looked at him, her eyes moving over his face as though she knew him or saw something she recognised.

She seemed to snap back to herself, giving him a bright smile as she gestured for him to come in. He gave a small bow before entering the house and slipping his shoes off. "Inuyasha-kun," she called out as she led Ranma through the house.

"Hai!" Ranma looked into the main room as he heard Inuyasha's voice call back. She waved for him to follow her and the two of them found Inuyasha sitting on the sofa, reading a very large book. He turned to look around and grinned when he saw Ranma standing behind his mother-in-law. "Hey, kid." He closed the book, standing up and placing it on the table. "How you doing?" Ranma shrugged, a grim smile on his face. "That good, huh?" He chuckled.

"Inuyasha-kun, who is your young friend?" The two of them turned to look at the woman who seemed fixated on Ranma.

"Sorry, Ranma-kun, this is Higurashi Natsuko, my mother-in-law. Okaa-san this is Saotome Ranma, the kid we told you about from last week." Inuyasha introduced the two of them and Ranma gave Inuyasha's mother in law a lower bow than he had before.

"A pleasure to meet you, Higurashi-sama," most people he knew thought that he was crude, rude and didn't know how to act in an appropriate situation. He _did_. He'd just never had the chance since coming to the Tendo household.

"Don't be silly," she gave a little laugh as he straightened, "we're not formal around here, as I'm sure Inuyasha's already told you. Call me Obaa-san."

"Okay," Ranma gave her a small smile as he turned to follow Inuyasha's direction to sit down, not seeing the look passed between the two others in the room.

After both Inuyasha and Ranma were settled in the main room, comfortably settled on two cushions on the sides of the dining table they had, Natsuko brought in some tea, her gaze once again lingering on Ranma before she exited the room. Ranma wondered what that was about but didn't question it.

"So what brings you here, kid?" Inuyasha asked as he poured them both some tea, placing one of the cups in front of Ranma before picking up his own.

Ranma let out a sigh, watching the steam from his cup rising for a few moments before meeting the other man's gaze. "Well, Kasumi asked me to come and invite you and Kagome-san to dinner tomorrow night. If you're not busy that is."

"She was serious about that, huh?" Inuyasha chuckled, shaking his head, his long hair, this time neatly wrapped up in a long braid that reached the floor as he sat brushing against his back.

"Yeah," Ranma chuckled remembering the determination in Kasumi's gaze as she requested he speak to them after school. "She doesn't give up when she wants something. Her cooking's amazing though so it's not too bad."

"I can't think of anything we have on tomorrow so we'll be there. Any particular time?"

"Early evening, around five should be fine." Ranma shrugged and Inuyasha nodded.

"There's something else, isn't there?" He asked and Ranma sighed again. "They bugging you again?"

"They never stop," he took a sip of his tea, the sweet taste pleasant on his tongue. "I was wondering if your offer still stands."

"To hang out here?" Ranma nodded. "Of course it does. Look," Ranma looked back up at him as Inuyasha placed his cup on the table in front of him. "I know it probably seems weird, a stranger offering that but . . . I can kinda see myself in you, kid. I know what it's like to be in a situation you don't completely understand, let alone have any control over." He could hear the slight bitterness in his own tone as the memories of Kikyo and that whole situation surfaced in his mind. "I know what it's like to need a place to separate yourself completely. If you need to, you can come here to do that."

"And they won't mind?" He nodded behind him to the kitchen to where Natsuko was busying herself with her own dinner preparations.

"Nah," Inuyasha waved off his concerns, smiling at him.

They talked for a little while longer, Ranma venting some of his frustrations and Inuyasha telling him vaguely about small snippets of his past. He didn't go into too much detail as if he did, it would be clear that it didn't take place in a time that Ranma was familiar with but just enough for the teenager to know he wasn't alone in what he was feeling.

Inuyasha could see that the young man in front of him – who was little more than a child, a mere pup – was being pushed mentally and emotionally to his breaking point. If things kept going the way they did, it wouldn't be long before he either shattered completely or exploded.

Inuyasha was solemn as he watched Ranma leave down the steps to the shrine, having walked him out. Kagome had come home not too long ago but she had a mountain of work to do so had only popped her head in to say hello. Inuyasha told her about the invite and she'd beamed saying that they would be there. Inuyasha had shrugged at Ranma's bemused face clearly showing that what the wife wants, the wife gets.

"That was well handled, little brother," Inuyasha turned his head to see Sesshomaru appear out of the shadows to join him as Ranma reached the bottom steps, walking down the streets.

"You gonna keep skulking in the shadows or are you going to introduce yourself to him any time soon?" Inuyasha asked, turning back towards the house.

"Maybe once he has become more comfortable here," the younger inu nodded in understanding.

"From what he was saying, I think he's going to be a regular visitor here." He sighed, looking to his older brother and giving a small shrug.

"That, little brother, is not a bad thing."

Inuyasha shook his head, agreeing with Sesshomaru. "No, it's not."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.**_

"So, those two that looked after you are coming to dinner tonight?" Ranma looked down from atop the fence as Akane caught up to him.

"Yeah, so?" He asked, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked, looking straight ahead.

"I don't see why, is all?" She stated and Ranma rolled his eyes. She had been in a mood since he had told Kasumi that Inuyasha and Kagome had accepted her invitation.

"Why don't you ask Kasumi?" He asked, glancing down at her as she strode on, her short hair bouncing around her jawline with her purposeful steps. "She's the one who invited them."

She huffed and didn't answer and Ranma decided not to push it. The continued the walk home in silence, Ranma relived that no one decided they were going to jump either of them on their short journey. He had even managed to avoid the ninja-ladle-lady which was a first for him. She was always there, no matter the time of day he went past, she was always there.

He reasoned she had to have been trained as a ninja in her younger years.

There was no other explanation.

He went through his regular routine when he got home, getting through his work out and completing a few katas and exercises in the dojo before Kasumi found him and berated him for cutting it so close before their guest's arrived. He was soon ushered upstairs for a bath, Kasumi insisting that he clean up before Inuyasha and Kagome arrived. He didn't understand the fuss but he wasn't going to push it.

After soaking in the tub, he made his way back into the room he shared with his father find that there was a more formal version of his usual red shirt laid out on his futon along with some black pants. The shirt, while in the Chinese style he preferred, the sleeves were longer and the colour was a deeper red than he normally wore. He reasoned that Kasumi had left the clothes out for him and decided not to poke the beast. He was also happy to find that she had not gone so far as to lay out any underwear for him. He quickly dressed and made his way downstairs to see that he was not the only ones that had been 'Kasumi'd' when it came to their clothing.

He was most shocked to see that she had managed to get both Soun and Genma out of their well-worn gi's and into actual clothing. Neither of them looked particularly comfortable and he couldn't help but smirk. They were both in western style shirts, Soun's being dark blue and Genma's a kind of plum colour. They had also been forced into western style pants and did not look happy about it.

Nabiki and Akane didn't seem to have escaped either. Nabiki was sitting in a dress that was more conservative than she would normally have gone for. Meaning that it didn't show off all of her assets – which was always a dangerous thing to do with Happosai roaming around. It was light blue in colour and had a high neckline. That was about all Ranma could see considering she was sitting down and he really didn't know that much about dresses in the first place.

Akane was sitting in her usual seat wearing a pale yellow dress. Like Nabiki's he couldn't really see much of it considering they were sitting down but he knew that she never usually showed her arms off even though she really should.

"Ah, Ranma-kun, I'm so glad they fit," He turned to see Kasumi standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He couldn't see what she was wearing due to the ever present apron being on but he could tell it was new. The pale pink skirt of the dress she was wearing flowed behind her as she walked. Unlike the outfits Nabiki and Akane were wearing, Kasumi's had a sleeve that stopped halfway down her upper arm. Shorter than she usually wore them but still covered.

Ranma was shaken out of his unnerved state at the quiet family and that was usually loud and rambunctious, insults and comments being thrown about all over the place as the doorbell rang. He wasn't used to it and he didn't like it.

"I'll get it," he called out, mostly to Kasumi whom he knew would drop whatever she was doing before going to get the door.

Opening the door, he saw Kagome and Inuyasha standing there and he gave them both a warm smile. There was something about the two of them that he couldn't help but like. Something that went beyond the fact that they had helped him when he didn't need it.

He gestured for them to enter and the two of them walked into the entrance way, slipping off their shoes before stepping up onto the wooden platform that would lead into the house. Inuyasha gently helped his wife with her coat, revealing the simply white dress with red floral patterns she wore underneath. Ranma took her coat and hung it up as Inuyasha took his own off. He was wearing a deep red western style shirt and black pants, his hair once again tied back in a long braid.

"Come on through," Ranma walked into the main house, his two guests following him, the rest of the occupants turning to face them as they walked into the room. "Everyone, you've already met Inuyasha-sama. This is his wife, Taisho Kagome." A faint clearing of a throat caught Ranma's attention and he remembered that Akane hadn't yet met Inuyasha as she had been preoccupied in the dojo when he had returned. "Sorry, this is Akane-chan. You didn't get to meet her when you were here before, Inuyasha-sama." He introduced everyone else to Kagome and they all greeted the pair, receiving polite bows in return. No one other than Genma noticed the once again narrowed eyes of the young man that had entered the Tendo home. Only this time, the look was mirrored by his wife. He would need to keep an eye on the two of them. He couldn't think why they would react that way to him.

He would have to find out.

He may need to resort to using Nabiki and her mercenary tendencies and skills to find out the information she wanted.

If he could afford her prices that is.

Kasumi called for Akane and Nabiki to help her in the kitchen, firmly telling Kagome that she was a guest and was not to lift a finger other than from her bowl to her lips. Inuyasha smirked at the rebuff, earning an eye roll from his wife.

"So, you're the ones that found Ranma, then?" Soun asked eyeing the two twenty-somethings that were sitting at his dining table.

"Well, it was Inuyasha that found him," Kagome gestured to her husband, "although when he brought him back to our home, we thought that he was a girl. Imagine our shock when it turned out he wasn't." She chuckled lightly.

"Oh, we don't have to imagine it." Kasumi giggled as she brought out steaming bowls, placing them on the table in front of everyone. Akane and Nabiki followed up with vegetables other side dishes and Kasumi sat, dishing out bowls of rice to everyone at the table. "When he and his father arrived here, they came as a panda and a red-haired girl."

"I bet _that_ was a sight," Kagome laughed and the others, apart from Akane, joined in.

"It was a bit of a shock to find that the young girl in our house was actually a boy." Kasumi smiled at the two guests.

It appeared that Kasumi had made beef sukiyaki which everyone happily dug into, murmurs of appreciation rumbling around the table.

"The two of you seem awfully young to be married, don't you?" Soun suddenly asked, lowering his bowl to the table and picking up his cup of sake, not noticing the amused glances shared by the aforementioned couple. Ranma and Akane froze, glancing at each other, not completely believing the words that had just come out of Soun Tendo's mouth. "I mean, you've got be early twenties at the most."

Inuyasha placed his bowl on the table, looking over at the Tendo patriarch. "While we may seem too young to some, it was the right decision for us. That being said, it's not going to be the right thing for everyone." His words were vague enough to be have a general meaning but there was also an underlying tone to his words. Ranma and Akane picked up on it immediately. Akane glanced at Ranma, who nodded, indicating he had told Inuyasha of the agreement between their fathers. She turned back to her food in front of her, not sure how to process that.

"Have you given any thought to the rest of your lives though," he pressed and Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at him, questioning. "What about all the things you want to do."

"Just because we're married does not mean that we can't do the things we want to." Kagome answered in place of her husband. "We don't impose any restrictions on the other. We're not going to stop each other from doing what we want to do. We got married because we chose to, with the full blessings from our families. No one _forced_ us to get married."

Ranma glanced between the two father's sitting at the table, wondering if they had picked up on the message behind the words. Considering how the two of them stilled, they had. However, like Inuyasha, Kagome hadn't said anything that would imply anything about their actions.

The fact that Soun was pushing Ranma and Akane to get married and yet questioning the marriage of the couple in front of him did nothing but make him an incredible hypocrite.

Something everyone in the room was aware of.

The rest of the meal was spent with quiet chatter, the girls asking Inuyasha and Kagome various different questions about themselves. Akane was incredibly interested in how long it had taken Inuyasha to grow his hair so long, considering the length of time hers had taken. Before the unwanted haircut from Ryoga that is.

Ranma let out a relieved sigh. Other than the hiccup at first, the meal had gone rather smoothly, everyone enjoying Kasumi's meal and Kagome wanting to know the recipe so she could make it herself. Something the elder Tendo girl was only too happy to oblige with.

Ranma tensed as he felt a familiar aura approaching the Tendo compound along with the voice Ranma had hoped would stay away until at least the Taisho's had gone home.

"Wahoo! What a haul!" Soun and Genma stiffened at the sound of Happosai approaching the house and Ranma moaned. "What a haul!"

Ranma glanced over to the visiting couple as the diminutive martial artist bounded into view through the sliding door that led into the garden, having been left open to allow some cool air into the room on the muggy night. The two of them looked at the small man who was wearing a cloth around his face and had an enormous sack on his back. Part of him never wanted them to find out what was in it.

Their eyebrows flew up, practically into their hairlines as Happosai took off the cloth, revealing his face to the room and Ranma wondered what was going through their minds.

"Doesn't he look like . . .?" Kagome asked quietly, a finger daintily pointing towards the grandmaster martial artist.

"Yeah," Inuyasha cocked his head to the side as he took in the strange looking little man. Shrink him down a bit and give him an extra set of limbs and he would look exactly like Myoga, the flea retainer that had been loyal to his family. Speaking of which, he hadn't seen the little coward in a couple hundred years. He wondered in that instant what had happened to the flea.

"So, you had dinner without me, huh?" The man asked and Soun and Genma tensed even further, if that was possible.

"He even sounds like . . ." Kagome giggled a little and Inuyasha couldn't help but grin at the similarity. Maybe the guy had flea demon in him. Would account for his size too.

"Well, who do we have here?" The eyes of the grandmaster went wide when his gaze hit on Kagome and her slightly low cut dress. "Well, cutie, how's about I give you a real hello?"

Inuyasha saw the intent of the small man across the table before he had even made a move. His enhanced demon sight and speed allowed him to see the exact path he was taking and that made him see red. He had to ensure to control himself, considering they were in the presence of humans but there was no way that he could allow this slight on his mate.

Moving without anyone even the sharp eyes of the martial artists catching it, Inuyasha's arm struck out and his strong fingers wrapped themselves around Happosai's neck, catching him in mid-air before he could get anywhere near the hanyou's mate.

There was a collective gasp as Happosai stopped before he could hit Kagome, who for her part, hadn't moved, as though she had known that he wouldn't ever reach his target. She sat there calmly, turning to Inuyasha and placing a hand on his arm as though to calm him.

It took a moment for it to register that the young man had simply reached out and stopped the martial artist that Soun and Genma feared so much. Ranma and Akane sat there with their mouths open, trying to process what they had just seen. Not even Ranma in his female form – which they had determine was much faster than his male form – could work up that kind of speed. They were all lucky if they got anywhere near him and they knew his moves.

And yet, this young man that had never met Happosai before, had stopped him in his tracks.

Happosai himself was in as much shock as the rest of the room. No one had ever stopped him like that before. Yes, he had received some whacks in his time but that was always after he had at least managed a fondle of his target. He turned his head as much as he could against the strong grip and saw that the young man in question was not even looking at him. Instead, he was sitting there, quite serenely with his eyes closed.

Inuyasha took a moment to calm himself after he had caught the little letch that had leaped towards Kagome, steadying himself. He opened his eyes, pulling his prey towards him and holding him in front of him.

"Don't you know it's rude to go after someone else's wife?" His voice was low, practically a growl. Happosai's eyes flew to Kagome at the mention of the word 'wife' but Inuyasha it didn't matter whether he had known or not. Being Inu-youkai and coming from the House of the Lord of the West, honour was incredibly important to Inuyasha and in his mind, Happosai's actions were inexcusable. "Or _any_ girl for that matter?"

"That's incredible," Akane whispered and Ranma nodded, silent. He watched Inuyasha closely, wondering how he had achieved such speed. Not even with his Imperial Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire technique was he that fast. Maybe he could find out from him.

Inuyasha didn't need to say anything more as he brought the small martial artist closer so that they were almost touching nose to nose. He kept eye contact with his tiny victim as he pulled on his youkai power, breaking through the concealment spell held in place by the ring on his right hand enough for the brown of his iris's to turn electric blue and back again. The tiny man's eyes widened and he spluttered for a moment, realising that the young man who held his life in his hand was not all he seemed.

"Do we have an understanding?" Inuyasha murmured and the head attached to the neck in his hand nodded up and down so quickly he thought it was going to fly off at any moment. Inuyasha dropped him on the floor beside him and Happosai ran out of the door so quickly he completed forgot about his haul.

"How did you do that?" Akane asked after a moment, still gaping at the open doorway where Happosai had disappeared. "No one has ever been able to catch him before."

"Maybe you're just not thinking about it in the right way," Inuyasha turned to look at them.

"What do you mean?" Ranma would take any way of getting rid of the letch he could. Too many times had he been subjected to cold water and then that pervert attached to his female forms chest.

"You're reacting to what he's doing," Inuyasha explained. "You gotta _anticipate_ what he's gonna do. You all know him well enough. You should be able to see what he's got planned."

"Tell me, do you practice martial arts?" Genma spoke directly to Inuyasha for the first time that evening, drawing the attention of his dark eyes.

"Not exactly, no," Inuyasha's answer was vague. While he had been fighting for his entire life, with the exception of the last century or so when everything had calmed down for him, he wasn't limited to one particular style of fighting. He did whatever it took for him to win. While that could class as their 'Anything Goes' style, he didn't see it as much of a style himself.

He was a fighter. Not a martial artist.

It was a stunned Kasumi that went into the kitchen and returned a few moments later with a plate full of daifuku. Everyone snapped out of their haze to grab one, relishing Kasumi's cooking. Her desserts were divine.

It wasn't long before Inuyasha and Kagome made their way out of the door, thanking Kasumi for the meal and thanking the Tendo's for their hospitality. Inuyasha gave Ranma a pointed look and the teen knew that he was silently reinforcing what he had said earlier that day.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

"Airen!" Ranma groaned as he heard Shampoo coming up behind him on that blasted bike of hers. "Ranma! Airen!" She stopped the bike directly in front of him before bounding off and throwing her arms around him, rubbing her chest against his as she so often did.

"Shampoo!" He tried to get away from the wriggling girl that was attached to him like a vine wrapped around a tree. "Shampoo! Let go! Argh! Get off me!" He managed to disentangle himself from her, stepping away as she stood there.

"Why you push Shampoo away?" She asked, her hands going to her hips as she stared at him. "Shampoo no see too too violent girl. We go out now, yes?"

"No!" Ranma almost shocked himself with the ferocity of his shout. "No, I will not go out with you and no! I am not going to marry you! When are you going to understand that!"

Standing there staring at the Amazon girl, he noticed the look in her eyes changing to show the same one she had when she felt Akane was in her way. It was a much darker side to Shampoo. One that showed she was willing to do pretty much anything she could to get what she wanted.

Unfortunately for Ranma, that was usually him.

Not wanting to be around when his words really sank in, he took off. He had been on the receiving end of the angry Amazon girl before and he had no desire to be there again. People often accused him of not using his head in situations that called for it and some of the time they were right. But he was sure going to use it now.

That and his legs.

He heard her shout as he rounded the corner but he didn't stop.

He quickly found himself in a familiar area, marvelling momentarily at how he had ended up there without even realising it and quickly ran towards the mountain of steps he knew was there. He heard the tell-tale sound of Shampoo following him and he was counting on the partial obscurity of the trees that lined the steps on either side as cover. He ran as fast up the steps as he could, glancing back as he reached the top, seeing Shampoo stop at the bottom.

"Whoa, kid, what's the hurry," Ranma turned to see Inuyasha standing in the courtyard, a broom in hand. He was dressed in some jeans and a t-shirt, his hair once again braided, watching Ranma with a perplexed expression. "Everything okay?"

Ranma glanced down the steps, seeing Shampoo still standing at the bottom, turning to see where he had gone. He waved Inuyasha over, wondering why he had the broom. The man stopped beside him, looking down the steps as Ranma dove behind him.

"The girl coming up the steps?" Inuyasha queried, looking at the kid and getting slightly worried when his heart rate increased and his face paled when he mentioned she was coming up. "Who is she?"

"Shampoo," Ranma croaked out.

"The Amazon girl?" Ranma nodded and Inuyasha looked down again, seeing that she was nearly halfway up. "No wonder you were running. Come on." Inuyasha grabbed his arm, quickly running towards the house. If what he had heard over the years about the Chinese Amazons was true, it was no wonder why Ranma had run. He had heard some nasty things and he wouldn't want to be a human male in a confrontation with one. He opened the front door to the house, shoving Ranma inside before barking out a warning to stay inside before taking on a casual appearance of cleaning up the shrine after a day of visitors.

"Ranma-kun?" He turned to see Kagome standing behind him, a younger boy of about twelve standing beside her, looking at him curiously. "What are you doing here?"

"Umm . . ." She narrowed her eyes at him, much the same way as a mother would a child. "I don't know whether Inuyasha's told you about the whole situation with me and . . ."

"The fiancée situation?" Kagome raised an eyebrow and Ranma nodded. "Yes, he's told me about them."

"Well, I ran into one of them on the way home and made her angry, which I probably shouldn't have done and she chased me all the way here." He admitted, narrowing his eyes as the boy beside Kagome began to snicker.

"You ran away from a girl?"

"Souta-kun, enough." Kagome scolded and he quickly shut up. "Which one?"

"Shampoo,"

"The Amazon?" Kagome's eyebrows shot up and Ranma nodded. "No wonder you ran."

"Inuyasha-san said the same thing." Ranma remarked and the boy Kagome had called Souta rolled his eyes. "She was coming up the steps so Inuyasha kind of shoved me in here."

"Come on," Kagome motioned for him to follow her, so he slipped off his shoes and put his pack down before walking into the house. She led him into a room off the kitchen with a high window. He looked around, seeing it was nothing more than a small storage area. "We only really use this room for drying laundry when the weather's bad." Ranma nodded as Kagome opened a window and motioned for him to stand on the other side. "This is right next to the courtyard so we'll be able to hear what's going on."

Ranma nodded, seeing that the boy had disappeared. He stiffened as he heard Shampoo call out to Inuyasha. "Why was he outside with a broom?"

"Hey, gotta keep the shrine tidy for the visitors." Kagome shrugged, giving the teen a smirk.

"Can I help you, miss?" Inuyasha asked as though he didn't know she was chasing after Ranma and that he was hiding her quarry inside the house. "If you're looking to visit the shrine, I'm sorry but we're closed for the day."

"No, I no want to visit shrine," the two of them heard Shampoo's response and Ranma tensed a little. He had the urge to look out of the window but knew he would be pushing his luck. "I looking for someone. Have you seen boy, black hair with pigtail?"

"No, sorry, haven't seen anyone like that?" The two of them grinned at Inuyasha's outright lie, hoping the Chinese girl would believe him.

"You sure?" Her tone was skeptical. _Damn,_ Ranma thought to himself, _she must have seen him at the top of the steps._ "I sure I saw him come up here."

"Pretty sure," they heard something thunk gently against the wall underneath the window and realised that Inuyasha must have been holding the broom. "Like I said, shrine's closed. The only ones here now are the family."

"Oh," she sounded dejected and Ranma heard the shuffling of footsteps as she turned away.

Kagome nodded her head for Ranma to follow her out of the small room and they walked into the main room at the same time Inuyasha did.

"So how come you were running away from her?" Inuyasha asked as Kagome went to make some tea. He started to walk towards the table, sitting at the end that in the Tendo household would have been taken by Soun Tendo. The face that he sat there without hesitation meant that that was most likely his seat. Was Inuyasha classed as the head of their family? It was possible, he assumed, that is, if Kagome's father wasn't around. In the short amount of time he had been inside the shrine, he hadn't seen any evidence of him being there.

"Well, you remember how I told you I'd had enough?" The other man nodded. "She's just . . . too much. I can't even describe her, really. She just . . . I basically told her to get the hell away from me and that nothing was ever going to happen between us – which she should have got by now considering the only time I've ever actually gone near her was when I was under the influence of some kind of potion – and she didn't take to kindly to that."

"Yeah, I've heard it's not good to piss off an Amazon," Inuyasha shot him a sympathetic look. "Especially if you're male."

"No kidding." Ranma sighed, crossing his arms on the table in front of him and dropping his head onto them.

Inuyasha had to sympathise with the poor kid. He looked utterly defeated. It wasn't any wonder. He'd heard about the Joketsuzoku and their traditions. He hated some of them, especially the whole 'Kiss of Death', 'Kiss of Marriage' thing they had going on. From what Ranma had said, he had been subjected to both and from what he had told him about the girl and her great-grandmother, they weren't going to let him go without fulfilling either of those challenges.

He placed a hand on Ranma's shoulder before standing up and walking through to the kitchen to see Kagome. She turned as he walked into the room, her smile fading as she saw the look on his face.

"What's the matter?" She asked, placing the cups she had gotten out of the cupboard on the side and walking over to her husband.

She felt how tense he was as she placed a hand on his arm, feeling the tremors that ran through his body in short intervals. She sucked in a breath, glancing towards the door into the dining room before looking back at his face, moving in front of him and cupping his chin with her hands.

"Yash, you have to calm down," she cooed softly, her thumbs running across the purple marks that were appearing and fading across his cheekbones. "Your youkai is overpowering the concealment spell." Her voice was nothing more than a whisper as his eyes opened and she sighed, seeing the irises flicker between amber and dark brown. "What happened?"

He let out a frustrated breath, loosening his tensed hands and wrapping them around his mate's waist, pulling her to him as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him to her. He buried his nose in her hair, allowing her scent to wash over him, to calm him as it had for the last five hundred years.

"He just seems so lost." He murmured, closing his eyes and feeling himself calming. "Everything he's told me . . . he doesn't have a choice in his own life and . . . it just pisses me off."

"I can see that," Kagome gave a soft chuckle, pulling him tighter.

"We have to tell him," she pulled away ducking down to look him in the eye. "We have to, Kags."

"You feel it, too." She whispered and he nodded. The connection they both knew as their own thrumming whenever Ranma was close to them. The two of them were certain that Sesshomaru felt it too. Despite all of his outward appearances, as a breed, there was nothing more important to an Inu than family. Since she had figured that out, she had reasoned that that had been why the brothers had never been able to kill each other. Not because they were so evenly matched – although Inuyasha grew in strength exponentially as time went on – but because something in their base instincts couldn't kill the other.

Maim? Yes.

Poison? No problem.

Dismember? Done.

But actually kill each other? Neither brother had found that they could swing the killing blow. And it wasn't for lack of want or desire. Sesshomaru could have very easily killed Inuyasha after removing the black pearly from his eye. The hanyou was confused and disoriented and Sesshomaru could have very easily landed a fatal blow while he was recovering from the abuse his right eye had just endured but he didn't.

There had been a time not long after Kagome had been able to travel back through the well, back to Inuyasha when Sesshomaru had appeared. He and Inuyasha had called an uneasy truce in the time she had been gone and had stopped trying to kill each other every time they saw each other. Mostly because Rin was living in the same village where Inuyasha lived by the well and Sesshomaru would not want to risk any harm coming to his ward. She liked to wander so there was still a chance even if they were a fair distance.

He had appeared at the small house she and Inuyasha shared on the outskirts of the village. She and Inuyasha had been laying in the sun, enjoying the afternoon before she realised that her husband had drifted off into a mid-afternoon nap. She had learned since coming back that Inu's – apparently not just limited to Inuyasha – loved nothing more than a snooze in the sun.

Rin had let slip that Sesshomaru often did the same thing.

Must be a dog thing.

It had been then that Sesshomaru had appeared, Inuyasha not even stirring in his sleep. It went to show how much had changed in her absence as before, he would have been awake and on his feet before Sesshomaru had even been in the immediate vicinity.

The elder Inu had come to investigate the rumours he had heard of her return. She hadn't missed the slightly relieved look in his eye as his gaze drifted down to his sleeping sibling. His face had remained unchanged but after so long dealing with a hanyou that hated to show his emotions, she had gotten good at reading the eyes. It was then that she had broached her way of thinking to him and he had confirmed that there had always been something holding him back. And what with Inuyasha, with his youkai markings, looking so much like their father had, killing him had become harder. So he had chosen not to.

She had had a similar conversation with Inuyasha after he had woken, immediately scenting Sesshomaru in the area. She had been surprised that he wasn't as wound up as he had been before but reasoned if they had a truce then he wouldn't be.

Since then, the truce had drifted away and they had become what she reasoned both Inu's were looking for all along but wouldn't admit to themselves _or_ each other.

A family.

And now, looking at her mate, she could see the tension as that was under threat once again.

"Okay," she whispered, resting her chin on his shoulder and pulling him close to her again. "We'll tell him."

"It's going to have to be soon." Came the murmured reply.

"What about now?" She questioned and it was Inuyasha that pulled away this time, looking down into his mate's eyes. She smiled at the sight. His markings and eyes were no longer going haywire and she could see that he was calmer. "Why wait? He's here. Why not tell him now? Not everything of course but maybe _something_ to make him feel like his life isn't totally messed up?"

"What 'hey, I know your life seems like a mess but guess what? My husband's a half demon and we actually met when I fell down a well and ended up five hundred years in the past?" Inuyasha chuckled and Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Well, when you put it like that," she huffed, giving him one last squeeze and moving away from her mate to grab the tea things she had been setting up before he walked in.

He let out one last breath before following her out into the dining room to see Ranma in the same position he had been in before. He sat down in the same spot he had been in before, watching the boy as he lifted his head, a dejected look on his face.

"You okay, kid?" Inuyasha asked, crossing his legs in front of him.

Ranma let out a sigh, grabbing at the pigtail he always wore. "I don't know. I shouldn't have come here. It's not your problem to deal with and you shouldn't have to."

"Hey, like I said, kid, you're welcome here anytime." Inuyasha was set in his tone, making no room for argument and Kagome nodded, an equally resolute look on her face as she agreed with her husband.

"I just don't feel right bringing all my issues here."

"Well, to be honest, compared to some of the stuff we've been through," Kagome raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha who rolled his eyes at her, "what you're dealing with seems like a walk in the park."

"So you've been cursed?" The teen raised an eyebrow and Kagome nodded.

"More times than I can count." She shrugged, her tone at ease and Ranma felt a little offended at her words. "Curses, witches, exorcists, demons-"

"Demons?"

"Yuh-huh," she grinned, her gaze shifting to her husband. "As a matter of fact, I'm married to one."

"What?"


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.**_

Inuyasha's forehead hit the table the moment after the words came out of Kagome's mouth. Of all the ways to put it, there had to have been something more subtle than that. A lead up as it were. But nope.

Kagome always went the direct route.

Ranma looked between the two of them, Kagome with a smile on her face and Inuyasha's forehead still against the table, having narrowly missed his tea cup, unable to decide whether the woman was being serious. Maybe he had misjudged the two of them and they were actually batshit crazy.

Maybe they were just good at hiding it.

"So basically . . ." he started, unsure of how to word . . . _anything_ at this point, "you're saying demons . . . are real?" Kagome nodded, her smile turning into a serious look as he spoke. "And you're saying you're married to a demon."

"Well, half-demon really. More commonly known as hanyou." She sounded so serious, so sane in her reasoning. Hell, the only experience he really had of someone clearly not being all there was Kodachi and he didn't think there was any way to help her. Maybe if she found someone that could mellow her out. But then again, she had Kuno for a brother so he didn't see much hope for her there.

"I don't believe this," Ranma muttered before standing up, letting out a snort. "For some reason, I thought that coming here would be a good idea. That I would be able to actually _talk_ to someone here without being judged or have any expectations. I didn't expect to be made fun of. Thanks for your help." He turned and started to walk out of the room.

"Hey, kid!" He stopped as Inuyasha spoke, his tone slightly harsh. Harsher than he'd heard from the man before. Even when he had confronted Happosai, he had been calm and his voice steady. Nothing like the bark he had just emitted. "Turn around."

Ranma turned to see that Inuyasha had stood up, facing him, he was currently pulling out the braid his hair was tied back in, allowing it to fall about his shoulders as he shook his head. He pulled his hands in front of him, his eyes never leaving Ranma as he watched him. He slowly pulled a ring off of his right index finger, gripping it in his left hand as he stared at the teen.

Ranma gasped as the man in front of him changed. He had seen the Jusenkyo curses plenty of times, hell he went through it every time he got hit with cold water but this was completely different.

He couldn't help but stare as the pitch black hair turned into a long, shimmering waterfall of silver, as deep brown eyes bled to amber. He glanced down to his hands as they flexed, seeing the nails had elongated into sharp claws before looking back up at his face. His eyes widened even more as he noticed the purple stripes that slashed across the man's cheekbones, standing out against the pale skin. He also noticed that they ran down his arms, the same shade a few tendrils breaking off on his bicep and forearm before curling around his wrist.

"No one's making fun of ya, kid." Ranma looked back up at his face before noticing the top of Inuyasha's head. Buried in the silver of his hair, he noticed what looked like dog-ears, twitching continuously, shifting and swiveling atop his head.

"What . . .?"

"Like I said, Inuyasha is a hanyou, or half-demon." Kagome seemed completely at ease with the transformation her husband had just undertaken, smiling at him as he sat down. "Why don't you sit down and we'll explain." Ranma glanced nervously at the now silver-haired man sitting by Kagome. "Don't worry, he might bark pretty loud but he doesn't bite." She gave a small giggle, reaching up and rubbing one of his ears gently before he snorted gently, pulling away. "Well, not people he likes anyway." Inuyasha gave a small grin, displaying a set of fangs that made Ranma gulp slightly. While he had seen Ryoga's own fang like teeth on a regular basis they didn't freak him out as much as they might have done but he had the distinct feeling that the fangs in front of him could do a hell of a lot of damage.

"Don't worry, kid." Inuyasha chuckled, motioning for him to sit down.

Ranma sat down in the seat he had been before, unable to tear his eyes away from Inuyasha. Though he could see it, he couldn't quite believe that the one sat in front of him and the human man he had seen before and was getting to know were the same person.

"Maybe if you put the ring back on," Kagome suggested quietly and Ranma snapped out of his daze.

"No!" the two looked to him, Inuyasha's ears twitching slightly at the volume. "I mean, no, it's okay. I guess it's just . . . I don't know."

"Takes some getting used to, I know." Kagome looked at her husband again and Ranma could see nothing but love in her eyes as she looked at him. "But while he may look different, he's still the same Inuyasha you've been talking to. He's still the same one who found you by the canal. If it weren't for his sense of smell, he might not have found you."

"What do you mean?" _His sense of smell?_

"Inuyasha has an incredible sense of smell," Kagome explained, picking up her tea cup. "He once managed to track me half way across the city following a few drops of blood." Ranma glanced at Inuyasha, who nodded. "There were a couple of times that it was a bit of a drawback but most of the time it came in handy."

"Like that damned painter," Inuyasha grumbled, shaking his head, "or Sango's scent beads. Man, I hated those things."

"I know you did." Kagome giggled before turning to look at Ranma again. "You see, Inuyasha's nose is so sensitive, extremely strong scents can overpower him. Not that it happened often but there were one or two times." He huffed in response and Ranma couldn't help but give the couple a small smile.

"Wait, the tea," Ranma flashed back to Inuyasha's reaction to that healing tea Kagome had given him.

"Huh?"

"After I woke up, Kagome-san, you gave me some tea that Inuyasha-san didn't like the smell of," he reminded them and Inuyasha nodded, his nose wrinkling at the thought of that tea.

"Ah yes, Inuyasha's never liked that tea."

"Told ya it was nasty." Inuyasha huffed and Kagome giggled. "Was nasty even when Kaede-baba used to make it."

"You can't still be sore about when she made you drink it," Kagome rolled her eyes and shook her head. "One thing you can say about Inu's; they know how to hold a grudge."

"Inu's?" Ranma asked, wondering if she just meant Inuyasha considering the first part of his name.

"Oh, sorry," she took another sip of her tea, placing the cup in front of her, "Inuyasha, as you can probably tell by his name, is an Inu. A dog demon. If you couldn't tell by the ears." She grinned, causing said ears to crease back slightly as their owner shot his wife an unimpressed look. "Oh you can't blame me."

Ranma shook his head, trying to make sense of what was happening in front of him. Apparently, the male of the couple that he had started to get to know and like was actually a half dog demon whose real appearance was hidden by a ring he wore.

"I think I'm going insane." He muttered to himself and Inuyasha chuckled slightly.

"Nah, kid, you're absolutely fine," he responded and Kagome gave him a small smile.

"The ears aren't just cute," Inuyasha gave another snort and Kagome reached up again, this time rubbing the base of his ear, a spot she had learned could quickly calm him down if needs be. Even though he didn't need it at the moment, she had learned there were very few instances where her mate would refuse a good ear rub. "They're really sensitive, he can pick up different sounds from miles around. And they're also a good indicator of what kind of mood he's in. When he's not wearing the concealment ring, that is." Ranma looked back at Inuyasha, who had his eyes closed and had not pulled away from Kagome's hand as he had before. "See, he's a big softie really. A nice ear rub and he's no worse than a puppy." There was amusement in her tone and Ranma couldn't help but grin as a low rumble sounded from deep in Inuyasha's throat.

"Are there many of them?" Ranma asked and Kagome turned away from watching her husband to face Ranma.

"Youkai?" Ranma shot her a confused look. "Demons? They prefer the term youkai." Ranma nodded as though that made complete sense. "And yes, there are a lot of them around, actually. Like Inuyasha, they use concealment spells to hide their true forms. In this time, humans wouldn't really be able to handle the knowledge that youkai were roaming around."

"I can understand that," Ranma nodded, knowing that if there were more that looked like Inuyasha did now wandering around, people would go nuts.

"If you meant are there any other Inu's around, there are others around but they're a little further to the north of Japan. They've lived in the west for millenia. Inuyasha's the only one that lives in Tokyo but there's one other that comes to Tokyo on a regular basis. Incidentally, he's Inuyasha's older brother." Ranma blinked, looking at the hanyou who, apparently was still enjoying the ear rub he was receiving. Somehow the thought that Inuyasha had an older brother seemed strange. To think that there was another man like him roaming around Tokyo.

"Does he look like Inuyasha-san?" He asked, wondering if there was any way he would recognise a youkai if he saw one. If they all wore concealment spells that were as effective as Inuyasha's then he doubted it. "He's enjoying that."

Kagome gave another small giggle, nodding. "He'll let me know when he's had enough." Ranma wondered how she could be so at ease around him. But then again, she was his wife and if Ranma was honest with himself, he didn't feel threatened by Inuyasha. And not only because he was currently receiving an ear rub that any regular dog would be jealous over. _Note to self, do not compare Inuyasha to regular dog out loud._ Ranma presumed that would go down like a lead balloon. "If you're referring to the ears, no, those are specific to Inuyasha. His brother, Sesshomaru-san is a full youkai. They're only half-brothers through their father. Inuyasha's mother was human while Sesshomaru-san's was a youkai as well. Other than the ears, they do look pretty similar. Sesshomaru also has silver hair and amber eyes. He has similar markings to Inuyasha but his are magenta rather than Inuyasha's purple. And he also has a crescent moon on his forehead that Inuyasha doesn't have." Ranma looked up towards Inuyasha's ear as it started to flick violently in Kagome's hand and he snorted, pulling away. "Told you he'd let me know. Back with us now?" She laughed as Inuyasha shook his head.

"What are you talking about my brother for?"

"Ranma-kun was curious to know if there were any other Inu's wandering around Tokyo," Kagome shrugged, "so I told him about oniisan."

"I wonder when the Lord will grace us with his presence again," Inuyasha mused looking over to Kagome who rolled her eyes at the statement. "He's been hanging around a lot lately."

"Who knows with your brother." She shrugged and smiled at Ranma's confused look. "Sesshomaru-san is the Lord of the West."

"Lord of the West?"

"Doesn't mean much to humans anymore but it used to." Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest as he spoke. "The House of the West used to be something that everyone in the Western Lands looked to for guidance and leadership. Since the humans started to develop technology and become more scientific in their belief systems, the belief in youkai has dwindled. Which is one of the reasons we have to hide our true forms now. The youkai around still know the power of the West but it's fallen out of human knowledge."

Ranma sat there for a moment, trying to absorb everything he had just learned and sort it all out into nice little compartments so he could deal with everything in his own time. But they wouldn't go.

He shook his head, seeing Inuyasha giving him an amused look, probably seeing his mental overload.

"So . . . how did you end up marrying a . . . hanyou?" The word came out as more of a question than anything else, wondering if he'd remembered it correctly. Inuyasha nodded indicating he had, turning to look at his wife, clearly wondering how she was going to answer that one. The kid looked like he had enough to digest what with the way his eyes would drift to Inuyasha every few seconds. He couldn't say he wasn't used to it. Over the centuries, people who had learned of his hanyou status had often given him the same look. While he was no longer scorned and insulted the way he used to (he owed Sesshomaru's eventual acceptance of him for that), the majority of humans couldn't get to grips with the ears perched on top of his head.

That always seemed to be the thing they focused on.

Not the claws and fangs that could rip them apart faster than they would be able to scream, not the silver hair that clearly showed him as something different from a distance (although nowadays what with all the strange hair colours humans seemed to give themselves, _that_ wouldn't stand out too much) or the markings that adorned his face and body.

The ears.

Inuyasha had realised that it was most likely because everything else could be explained somewhat. His silver hair could be dyed, his amber eyes could be contacts, his markings could be tattoos. But how do you explain dog ears?

Thank the Kami for concealment spells, that's all he could say.

"I think that might be a story for another time," Kagome swiftly derailed that line of questioning. "It's a long story and I think we've probably given you more than enough to think about."

Ranma sat back, feeling a little disappointed but knowing she was right. There was little doubt that he would be able to think about anything else for a while, which he knew was going to get him in trouble. Whether it be yelled at for not listening or ending up in the Tendo's pond for not focusing on his father.

"I should be getting home," he said softly, glancing at the clock. He knew that Kasumi would have dinner ready soon and if he didn't get home before it was served, there wouldn't be any, courtesy of his father. The three of them stood up, Inuyasha sliding the concealment ring back on his finger, his appearance instantly transforming to that of the human he had come to know.

"In case there are any late visitors to the shrine." He explained and Ranma nodded, part of his mind wanting to enforce that the silver haired man with the dog ears he had seen was not real and it had been a figment of Ranma's imagination.

Nah! His imagination wasn't that good.

The couple walked him out, watching as he crossed the courtyard and walked down the steps.

"We have to tell him soon," Kagome whispered, resting her head on Inuyasha's chest. He let out a low rumble in agreement, the vibrations from his chest running through her. "I don't know how much longer I can keep it from him."

"He needs time," Inuyasha wrapped his arms around his mate, pulling her close to him. "We gave him a lot to think about today. He now knows that there is another world out there. A youkai underworld as it were. One he'd never thought of. He's gonna need to process that."

"I know," she sighed, wrapping her arms around his waist. "It's just hard."

He rested his cheek on the top of her head, letting out another low rumble of agreement as he steered them back into the house.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Kagome had been right, Ranma mused as he sat on the roof of the Tendo house. Dinner had been the usual mayhem, Genma trying to steal his food when he wasn't watching and Happosai attempting to drench him at every turn. The diminutive man had questioned where the couple that had been at dinner the other night had come from, where they knew them from and he had been regaled with the story of how Taisho Inuyasha and Kagome had come into Ranma's life.

Of course he had listened to the story with glee. He had often found Ranma to be a little punk who didn't know his place. Hearing that Akane had managed to best him as she had like she hadn't been able to do before made Happosai grin.

But along with that, there was a niggling worry in the back of the grandmaster's mind. Ranma was supposed to be his heir, the one to take over the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts when Happosai deemed him ready to do so. He was the strongest practitioner of the Anything Goes style and although they may all know it, Genma, Soun and Akane wouldn't admit it. If there was something interfering with the boy's strength enough to allow Akane's mallet to overpower him enough to knock him out for nearly a day, Happosai wanted to know about it.

Ranma hadn't stuck around after dinner, heading out into the dojo to meditate. His mind was too busy to do anything else really. He had been followed shortly after by Akane who stopped at seeing him sitting in front of the small shrine they kept in there. He wasn't in the upside down meditation position he could often be found in and Akane couldn't help but worry a little as she saw him sitting there, completely still – which in itself was a rare sight as Ranma was usually consistently moving – his head slightly bowed as his hands met in his lap, eyes closed and a serious expression on his face.

Not wanting to disturb him, Akane left the dojo, foregoing her practice for the night.

The meditation hadn't really helped him to sort out what was rumbling through his mind.

Demons – or youkai, apparently was the proper term – were real.

They were hidden in plain sight in normal society. If Inuyasha hadn't taken off the ring that held the concealment spell, he would never have guessed that there was anything different about the young man.

Other than the way he had grabbed Happosai when the letch had launched himself at Kagome.

Although it would explain how he was able to do that.

So, there were two options.

One: Youkai were real and they were wandering around, just like humans, blending in and hiding. If Inuyasha and Kagome were to be believed, they had been feared many years ago. They had said that Inuyasha's brother was called the Lord of the West and that though the title had been forgotten by humans, he was still feared by youkai. If they were to be believed then anyone that he ran into on the street, talked to, possibly even kids at school, could be one. And he would have no idea.

Two: Ranma had taken one too many whacks to the head and his brain was misfiring. Maybe he was still unconscious and his mind was cooking all of this up while he lay there.

While the second option seemed more feasible, he knew he wasn't that imaginative.

"Ranma-kun?" He turned to the small trapdoor in the roof, the one he sometimes used to get up here. Majority of the time, he would just jump out of the window of the room he and his father shared. He saw Akane, her head and shoulders outside while the rest of her was still safely ensconced in the house.

Hopefully she was in an amicable mood. He couldn't deal with anything else right now.

She slowly climber through the rest of the hole, settling herself not far from him on the roof. "Are you okay?" Her voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper and Ranma blinked at her, wondering if he had heard correctly. "I mean, you were really quiet at dinner. Normally you would have been arguing with your father or Happosai but it seemed like you were somewhere else."

He let out a sigh, leaning back on his hands as he looked out towards the lights highlighted the buildings that made up the Nerima ward. Honestly, he hadn't really expected anyone to notice. "Yeah," his voice too was soft, not wanting to disturb the relative peace in the air. It wasn't often that the Tendo dojo was quiet and he found himself reluctant to change that. "Just got a lot on my mind is all." _Like if I'm going insane,_ he thought to himself. It was becoming the only real explanation he had for that afternoon.

"Anything I can help with?" She asked and he blinked again, wondering who the girl sat next to him was and what she had done with Akane. "Don't look at me like that." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and sticking her nose in the air. "I just thought that maybe . . ." she trailed off.

"Thanks for the offer but this is something I gotta deal with on my own." Ranma sighed and she nodded, giving him a small smile. "Actually, there is one thing."

"What?" She perked up a little but he knew she wasn't going to like what he said.

"Stop getting so angry," she froze and he held up a hand, stopping her as she opened her mouth to say something. "What I mean is, actually listen to me when I say something. Like the whole thing the other week. Nabiki mentions Shampoo and you automatically assume that I've done something. You didn't listen to what I had to say. You never do." He looked to her, seeing her sitting there with a shocked look on her face. It seemed that Ranma's words may actually have some effect.

She sat there for a few moments, not really looking at anything, simply staring in front of her, processing Ranma's words. "I'm sorry," she whispered so quietly Ranma almost missed it. "I don't know why I do but . . . I'll try to be better. I promise I'll hear you out before coming to any conclusions."

Ranma nodded. It was a start. He liked Akane. Even though he constantly called her un-cute, a tom boy and whatever insult he could think of at that moment in time, he did like her. He was kind of afraid to admit that to anyone, even himself in a way, because he knew that his father and Tendo-san would immediately start to push the two of them to get married.

He didn't know about Akane but he wasn't ready for that.

She gave him another small smile before she headed back down into the house. He sighed, looking back out over the rooftops and he couldn't help but wonder how many of the houses in front of him had non-human inhabitants.

He was broken out of his thoughts a moment later by squealing coming from the house below him. Both human and non. He rolled his eyes as he heard Akane calling to her 'P-Chan' claiming that she'd missed him.

Damn he hated that pig!

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Ranma was jolted awake as he impacted head first with the Tendo's pond, immediately feeling the shift to his female body. He pulled himself out of the water, fuming at his father and at himself. It had been weeks since he had pulled that stunt and Ranma knew that he should have been on the lookout for it. Though there was only so much you could look out for while asleep.

He didn't pay his father any mind as he stormed upstairs, ignoring Akane as she yelled into the house about meeting some friends before school. He had taken to walking to school on his own lately, finding it gave him time to think. It also meant that he could avoid Kuno as the idiot always thought that he would be with Akane. True they may have arrived together at school at the same time but they had their own friends and barely interacted through the day.

Not unless they could help it, that is.

"Ranma-kun," he turned as he walked towards the door, having taken a hot bath and changed back into his male form and making his way towards the door to head out, "I meant to ask Akane but she left so quickly this morning. Would you mind heading to the market after school and picking up a few things for dinner?"

"Sure," he took the list she handed him, stuffing it into his bookbag and giving her a wave. He quickly slipped his shoes on before taking off as he usually did, leaping onto the first fence he came to. He had finally figured out how to avoid the ladle-lady and he'd managed to do so for the second morning in a row. He had no doubt she'd get him at some point soon but for the moment, he was revelling in the small victory.

He stopped as he spotted a familiar yellow tunic on a body that seemed to be turning in every which way. He rolled his eyes at the lost boy, jumping down off the fence to see if he could figure out where he was supposed to be going.

"Hey, Ryoga!" The boy turned at the sound of his voice and Ryoga immediately got into a fighting stance. Seemed to be his usual pose around Ranma. "I haven't got time to fight you today but you look lost."

"I'm fine," he ground out and Ranma raised an eyebrow. Along with being unable to find his own front door, Ryoga was not a good liar. It still amazed him that Akane didn't know that he was P-Chan. Ranma felt bad about her not knowing but he had sworn not to tell. Even though it had been to a dog at the time, he still felt the words.

Ranma couldn't help but eye the boy's teeth, seeing the unusually long canines protruding from his mouth. His mind flicked back to the other set of canines that he had seen lately, reasoning that Inuyasha's were definitely more deadly than Ryoga's.

It didn't matter that the body they were attached to could apparently be quickly mollified with a good ear rub.

Not that anyone other than Kagome would even try to get close enough.

"Look, like I said, you look lost so I thought I'd try to help," Ranma repeated, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Like I need _your_ help," Ryoga spat back as Ranma had been expecting. Though he didn't like it, people were right when they said that he and Ryoga were similar. Neither one of them liked the thought that they might need help sometimes. He still felt embarrassed about what had transpired with Inuyasha and Kagome. He had felt uneasy since he had found out just how long he'd been out. Akane hitting him hard enough with a mallet to go flying wasn't an unusual occurrence. It knocking him out like that, however, was.

"Fine," Ranma turned around, waving over his shoulder at the boy. "Just trying to help, is all."

 _Great, now I'm going to be late_. He grumbled mentally as he took off down the street towards the school. His teacher hadn't been impressed and as usual, he had been made to stand in the hall and hold buckets.

At least something was normal.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

"So how come you were late today?" Ranma looked up from his lunch to see Akane standing in front of him. He had sat in his usual spot under a tree when it had come to lunch. Hiroshi and Daisuke had gotten in trouble in their last class – and for once he hadn't been involved - and had been held back by the teacher so he had come out to lunch alone. She sat down next to him, pulling out her own lunch.

"I saw Ryoga and he looked lost," Ranma shrugged and Akane glanced at him, her chopsticks stilling momentarily as he spoke. She had to be honest, her mind had automatically flicked to the two of them getting into another fight and could feel the reprimanding words on the tip of her tongue. She stopped as she remembered the promise she had made to Ranma only a few nights before, so she bit back the words and continued on with her lunch. "Asked if he wanted help but he threw that back in my face." He shrugged again as though he hadn't expected much else.

"Why did you stop?" She asked and he looked at her, chopsticks in his mouth, looking confused. "Surely you knew that he wasn't going to accept any offer of help. So why did you stop?"

"Eh, felt like the right thing to do," Ranma finished his lunch, putting the box on the ground next to him. "Feel kinda sorry for the guy. I'd hate to be lost all the time."

Akane nodded, agreeing completely. She'd hate to be wandering around all the time, never knowing if she was going to end up where she wanted to go. Hell, Ryoga had been four days late to a fight between him and Ranma that was supposed to take place behind his own house, for crying out loud! She'd probably never leave the house if that was her.

They sat in silence for a little while, while Akane finished her lunch.

"Hey, Ranma," he made a small noise in response, "did you ever find out how Inuyasha-san managed to grab Happosai like that?" She thought she sensed him tense slightly, just for a split second before he forced himself to relax. "I mean, that was awesome. Imagine if he could teach us how to do that, we wouldn't have any problems with the old pervert anymore."

"You right about that," Ranma chuckled, leaning his head back against the tree. "Um . . . no, I haven't thought to ask." Akane narrowed her eyes at him even though he couldn't see her. While there may be many things she didn't know about Ranma, she knew when he was lying.

And he was lying.

"Uh-huh," she knew that her tone belied the fact that she didn't believe him but she said nothing. "Well, maybe you could ask when you see him again. It would be cool to learn."

"I will," his response was non-committal and she could see the muscles in his arms had tensed again. Just what was he hiding?

They'd been through a lot together and while they hadn't always gotten along, there was some kind of truce between them. She liked Ranma, she did but she didn't risk saying anything because of her father and Saotome-san. And whenever she and Ranma had a moment to try and sort anything out between the two of them – especially revolving around the engagement – something happened. Either one of Ranma's other fiancée's appeared or one of her many admirers.

Life was getting too chaotic and had been for a while now – since Ranma and his father had shown up, if she was honest – and she wanted off the ride.

But she didn't want to leave Ranma.

 _ **I'll be honest, the ear rub bit wasn't planned. That just kind of wrote itself.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.**_

Ranma smiled a little as he sat on the roof of the Tendo home, hands behind his head, taking in the sunshine. All things considered, it had been relatively quiet.

For that day at least.

There hadn't been any surprise appearances from any of his fiancée's or rivals, he hadn't woken up through contact with the pond and he and Akane hadn't fought.

He only hoped it would last.

The last few weeks had been a lesson in the supernatural in a way Ranma had never thought possible. Since school had let out for the summer, he had been spending more and more time at the Higurashi shrine, mostly to keep out of the way of Shampoo, Cologne and Ukyo, all of whom were getting fed up with him not siding with her over the whole marriage issue. They had yet to find out his hideaway but he didn't really think it would last too long.

Akane was the only one that knew he had been spending time at the shrine, mainly because of his slip up at lunch a few weeks prior. He hadn't thought to say that he hadn't seen them since then, only that he hadn't asked how Inuyasha had stopped Happosai. And in doing so he had inadvertently given away his little sanctuary. But she hadn't said anything to anyone about it and when he questioned why not, she simply said it wasn't her place to.

 _That_ had shocked him into silence. Not something easily accomplished.

She had then confided in him that she had her own escape that she went to when she couldn't cope and that she understood. He didn't ask her where it was. That was for her to tell him.

Since he had made his request of her, his relationship with Akane had improved a lot. They were able to talk without it devolving into an argument. Well, not every time at least. They still had their spats but thankfully, none of them had ended up with him going flying.

Unfortunately, his and Akane's slowly deepening friendship had not gone unnoticed by Shampoo and Ukyo. They had been around a lot more since school had let out. Fortunately, they both had obligations to their respective restaurants so he always had a chance to sneak away while they were busy.

Didn't mean he didn't keep an ear out for that damned bicycle bell.

His father hadn't been too happy when Ranma had started spending time away from the dojo during the day. Fortunately for Ranma, his father wasn't as covert as he thought he was so he was always able to dodge him. Though the other day, he had had to avoid both his father and Soun Tendo which made things slightly more difficult. He had made sure to head in the completely wrong direction to head them off.

Over the last few weeks he had learned that there was so much more to the world than he had previously thought. Sure he had seen a lot in his life, knowing that there were more than just humans out there since he had come to Tokyo and while he and his father had been on their journey but there was no much more to it.

He had learned that both Kagome and Inuyasha were in fact over five hundred years old. A thought that still made his head spin considering that they both looked as though they were in their twenties. Maybe they should share their secret with Cologne since they were both older than her. Actually at his flustered response Kagome had casually told him that Inuyasha was actually over seven hundred years old, having been in his two hundreds already when they had met.

Although apparently to Inu-youkai, even being that age was still considered a pup.

They had told him bits and pieces of their past, how they had first met after she had fallen down the ancient well on the shrine grounds. He almost dismissed the idea completely as being ridiculous before he remembered the little jaunt he and the others had taken into ancient China through Cologne's magic mirror. They further reinforced the knowledge of the well by taking him to see the well itself.

He shook his head, thinking about the creepy as hell well. Even though they told him that the well had been silent since Kagome had jumped through it the last time, it still gave him a bad vibe.

Kagome had regaled him of how she had been pulled into the well by a demon and had climbed out to find herself in a dense forest. Inuyasha didn't really have much to add at that point because apparently, he had been pinned to a tree by a sacred arrow.

Ranma's brain had started to hurt when he'd learned that. They had taken him to the sacred tree he had seen every time he had come to the shrine and neatly stepped over the small fence surrounding the tree that he had learned was called the Goshinboku. Inuyasha had hoisted Kagome up onto his shoulder and she had shown Ranma a small groove, barely noticeable in the bark, stating that even after five hundred years it was still there.

The point where the arrow had struck the tree after piercing through Inuyasha's chest.

He had found the part where she had first found Inuyasha, still under Kikyo's spell, pinned to the tree and couldn't help but play with his ears amusing though. The hanyou in question did not. Though she had told him what had happened in that first sighting of him many years before, he would still huff and give said ears a flick at the mention of it.

He had also met some of their youkai companions as well. The first one he had met had been Shippo, a kitsune that he had learned had lost his parents in a gruesome way, Inuyasha avenging them for the young boy.

He had learned that when he had first met Inuyasha and Kagome, Shippo had been nothing more than a one-tailed kit, trying to make his own way after the death of his parents. Now, however, he had the appearance of a young man, when under a concealment spell that is. Once that was removed, it seemed like his entire lower body changed. Gone were the human feet, replaced with fox paws. His eyes changed from the light brown of his human form to bright turquoise and his ears sharpened to a point. Much like Inuyasha, his teeth changed, elongating to become deadly looking fangs. His hair had remained the red he had shown when under the concealment spell, not standing out like Inuyasha's silver did.

The main thing Ranma noticed about Shippo was when he dropped the concealment was five glossy tails, twitching and quivering behind him. Ranma's jaw had dropped and the others couldn't help but chuckle. Shippo shrugged, brushing off the teenager's reaction. Like Inuyasha and his ears, Shippo often got attention due to his tails. Though maybe for a different reason.

Ranma had been warned to keep an eye on Shippo. When he had queried why he had just been told that he was a kitsune and that kitsune's were tricksters. It was practically written into the DNA and the more tails a kitsune has, the more power they have.

Ranma had learned that they were being serious by the end of that afternoon when he got caught in a little set up by Shippo, involving him, Inuyasha and a _lot_ of water. Needless to say, the hanyou hadn't been too happy about getting drenched and add that with the fact that he'd somehow managed to get water _in_ his ears, he had been pissed.

Unfortunately for Shippo, even though five hundred years had increased his power, it had increased Inuyasha's as well. And despite his own growth, the hanyou was still bigger than him.

Kagome laughed, her mind flashing back to when Inuyasha used to chase the little kit around when they had been hunting for Naraku and the jewel shards. Of course back then she would have most likely used the beads that had hung around Inuyasha's neck to subdue him before he could get to the kit.

However, this time, Shippo kinda deserved it.

The scene had amused Ranma greatly, appreciative of the fact that it wasn't just his own life that seemed to be completely chaotic. Kagome told him that the majority of the time, things were quiet but adding Shippo into the mix always livened things up. She also warned him that what Shippo had done was nothing compared to what he could do and that he was going easy on him cause he was a newbie. Ranma got the hint. 'Keep your guard up with a kitsune in the vicinity'.

Ranma had also been introduced to Totosai, a demon sword-smith with enormous eyes. He had made Ranma a little uncomfortable as he stared at him. It somehow felt like the demon was judging him as he stood there in front of the teenager. Sizing him up.

Maybe he was trying to judge whether or not he could be trusted with the knowledge that youkai existed. He had shared a look with Inuyasha and it appeared something passed between the two of them. He hadn't had a chance to ask Inuyasha about it.

He had been the most disturbing one that Ranma had met. He had also met another hanyou called Shiori. He wondered if having silver hair was a hanyou thing. Both Inuyasha and Shiori had silver hair but that was pretty much the only thing that they had in common.

While both were lithe and clearly strong, Shiori's skin was tanned whereas Inuyasha's was pale. She also had deep violet eyes which were a complete contrast to Inuyasha's amber. Shiori also had an innocence about her that Inuyasha didn't have.

Kagome had made him aware that even though they had both grown up as hanyou, Shiori had grown up with her mother in a village. While they had not been completely accepted, after the bat demons that lived not too far from the shore of their village had been destroyed, they had been left alone. Before that, Shiori had been bullied by the other children and adults alike. Once her mother had passed away, she had been taken by Inuyasha to the western fortress, whom by that point was on much better terms with his brother. She had spent the majority of her life there, relatively safe from the scorn and hatred she would have faced if left alone.

Inuyasha, Ranma had learned, had not been so lucky. Kagome had told him that the reason he seemed so much older than Shiori – despite the fact that he was actually older than her by roughly two hundred years - was because he had had to learn how to take care of himself while still a child. She had educated Ranma on Inu aging and as far as Ranma knew, when Inuyasha's mother had died, he would have been considered little more than an infant to other Inu's.

Ranma's father had put him through a lot sure, but he couldn't imagine growing up completely alone. He had quickly been told that Inuyasha did not respond well to pity and Ranma would be best not bringing up Inuyasha's past. If he wanted to know more about it, then he'd have to ask the hanyou himself.

And Ranma didn't think he'd be doing that any time soon.

He had a feeling that there was still so much more that he had to learn about the new world he had been brought into. And there was a part of him that couldn't wait.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Kagome smiled to herself as she placed the last dish on the draining rack, looking out of the window that looked out onto the shrine. She was happy that Ranma had been coming round more and more lately.

While he had been a little overwhelmed by the knowledge he had been given over the last few weeks – something Kagome could understand – he appeared to have accepted it without too many issues.

That she could see anyway.

His reaction to Shippo had been amusing. The look on his face when Shippo had revealed his tails to Ranma. His jaw had dropped when the kitsune had removed his own concealment spell. While he had become used to seeing Inuyasha in his hanyou form, he had never seen a kitsune before. Well, not that he had known about, anyway. Shippo's tails were impressive, especially if you'd never seen them before. He'd come far since she and Inuyasha had come across him as a grieving kit.

She could see that Ranma and Shiori seemed to be getting along. He had been quite right when he had seen that Inuyasha seemed more hardened than Shiori did, even though they were both hanyou. She had told him that if he wanted to know more then he would have to ask Inuyasha himself but from the look on Ranma's face, he knew better than to do that.

She could tell that Ranma hadn't been too impressed with Totosai. She could understand that. She hadn't been too impressed when she'd first met the demon sword-smith. He had immediately butted heads with Inuyasha, challenging Inuyasha's worthiness of his father's fang. If there was any way to upset her hanyou, Totosai had managed it within moments.

Insulting his pride.

 _That_ was a trait he hadn't grown out of. Although, he now dealt with such challenges in a much more graceful manner, rather than blindly running into a fight as he had done when he was younger. As a hanyou, even now, there were still many around that believed he was an easy challenge. Many wanted to prove themselves to the Lord of the West and they figured the easiest way to do that would be to defeat his younger brother, his heir.

What none of them realised was how strong Inuyasha actually was. Or if they had heard, they obviously paid no attention. Youkai and hanyou born over the last few centuries had been brought up on the stories of the Inu-hanyou and the miko that had defeated the evil Naraku. While she had heard many different versions of what happened centuries ago, none of the fictional versions even came close to what happened. Those telling the stories clearly wanted to try and make them more fantastical to the little ears that would be listening, praising and cheering for the heroes to prevail over the evil but she had to admit, even the exaggerated tales seemed tame compared to the events she and her mate had lived through.

She had seen a few of the challenges that had come his way, the first one being about sixty years or so after she and Inuyasha had been accepted by Sesshomaru. They had steadily built bridges and a relationship with the Inu-youkai and he and Inuyasha had called a truce in their father's name. She had been surprised when both brothers had adhered to their agreement not to try and kill each other. That's all the promise had been to start with.

But hey, it had been a start.

Inuyasha and Kagome had still lived in the village that had become their home base during their quest against Naraku, mourning the passing of Kaede first and then as the years went on, they also lost their dear friends, Miroku and Sango. It wasn't long after that that Inuyasha and Kagome decided to take Sesshomaru up on his offer and move to the Western Fortress. Shippo had declined moving with them, stating that he wanted to continue his Kitsune training and it would be too far to travel. He did promise to visit them often.

It hadn't been long after they'd moved that Inuyasha had been instated as the heir to the Western Lands. While Sesshomaru had taken Rin for his mate, they hadn't had a child which would have left the West open to assault had anything happened to Sesshomaru.

There had been a few grumblings for a few decades, which Sesshomaru found tiresome and Inuyasha found aggravating but after watching the Inu-hanyou in a challenge, that had ceased.

Kagome couldn't help but smile to herself as she remembered him walking out into the arena that was housed in the grounds of the fortress. The majority of the time it was used when the full blood youkai's trained in their true forms. Or when Inuyasha and Sesshomaru sparred.

Because even though they were no longer out to kill each other, the fur still flew when they went at it.

She remembered her hanyou walking out into the grounds looking so much like he used to. He had been wearing the fire-rat robes he had always donned before moving to the fortress, preferring them to the traditional armour worn at the fortress, Tessaiga at his hip. If it hadn't been for the purple markings on his face, he would have looked just like he had decades before.

Kagome had sat next to Sesshomaru while they watched, her eyes never leaving the red and silver blur that continuously dodged his opponent, an enormous bear youkai carrying an equally enormous battle-axe. She remembered watching her mate continuously dodge the broad strokes of the youkai's weapon whilst simultaneously landing strikes of his own. It had been a minute or so into the fight that Kagome had realised that Inuyasha wasn't going in for the killing strike as he would have normally done.

He was toying with the youkai.

She knew that her mate wouldn't kill the challenger, he was too honourable for that. It hadn't been labelled as a fight to the death and Inuyasha's honour hadn't been slighted. Sesshomaru had warned the two of them that this could happen so they had been prepared for it.

The entire thing had been over in less than three minutes.

While none of Inuyasha's strikes had been deadly, they had counted, hitting the bear in all of the weak spots his armour didn't cover. She had smiled to herself when the dust had cleared at Inuyasha had been stood, blade of Tessaiga across the neck of the bear, light pressure drawing a trickle of blood while the hanyou stood over him, his intentions clear. Submit and accept defeat or fight and kill himself on the blade currently resting across his throat.

The bear had given up.

After that, the grumbles over Sesshomaru's decision to have Inuyasha as his heir until a he and Rin had a male pup stopped.

There had been many more challenges made against the hanyou prince, some had been worse than others but he had prevailed. The last one had been over a hundred years ago. The demon world had accepted Inuyasha and his miko mate.

Something Inuyasha had never thought would happen.

She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. Things had livened up a little since Ranma had come onto the scene. There was a magnetism and a charm about him that drew people in. Humans and youkai alike.

She hadn't been too impressed to hear that Akane knew he had been coming here, her opinion of the girl still low considering the damage she could have done to him. She knew that he was strong and that he would brush off any words of warning – much like her mate had many a time and still did, if she were honest – but she hadn't put up with five centuries of whiny youkai not to come out of it more stubborn than she had been before. Ranma had explained that she knew where he came and that she had not told anyone where he went off to when he disappeared, knowing he wanted to get away from the madness of the dojo. She had joked that he was exchanging one lot of madness for another and he laughed, claiming that the madness at the shrine, he could deal with.

Kagome knew that in a way, she was being unfair to the girl, not really knowing her but hey what else could she do?

She knew that he had confided in Inuyasha about his situation with his fiancée's and what he could do about it. Thankfully, none of them had followed him here as of yet. It probably wouldn't last much longer but at least he had some relative peace while he was here.

While he had confided in Inuyasha about his fiancée's and rivals, he had talked to her about his relationship with Akane. She had no doubt that he had spoken to the hanyou about it too but she was glad he felt like he could come and speak to her. Maybe since learning more about the two of them, he could see that they may have a view that others around him didn't. Or maybe it was because he knew she was still miffed at Akane and wanted to soften her up a bit.

Either way, it didn't matter to her.

He had explained about her promise to him and that she had actually been following through. They hadn't really argued, a few little spats that were nothing compared to what they had been before and they had been getting on a lot better than they ever had. She could tell that he was confused and reluctant to show his feelings for the girl but she had been through it before. She sighed to herself, thinking about the chat they'd had.

" _Be honest," she pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees as they sat on the step that led into the house. "Do you like her?"_

" _Huh?" He looked over to her, a faint pink hue appearing on his cheeks as he glanced around._

" _Don't worry, he's on an errand for my mother." She waved off his worry that a certain sensitive eared hanyou was lurking about somewhere. "Ranma-kun, do you like Akane-chan?"_

 _He bit his lip looking away before nodding. "Yeah, I do."_

" _Then, trust me, you need to tell her." He looked at her, mild panic in his eyes. She chuckled mentally about how alike he and Inuyasha were. If she had been talking to Inuyasha this way back when they had first met, he would have been spluttering and denying anything until his face turned blue._

" _Tell . . . Akane?"_

 _She nodded, looking out towards the shrine. "I speak from experience when I say don't leave it too long. There were so many times when I could have lost Inuyasha because I didn't speak up. There were so many paths that we could have taken which wouldn't have led to where we are now. Now, I'm not saying it was all on me because he had some issues too but . . . we waited so long and we could have lost it all."_

" _But you didn't."_

" _No," she smiled, thinking back to the day she had finally told him how she loved him and he had returned it, "but the chance was there."_

 _Neither of them said anything else, no other words needed._

Kagome had looked at the teenager in front of her, seeing so much of Inuyasha in him. Extremely confident in everything he did, overly so a lot of the time, except when it came to expressing himself. She knew where it came from with Inuyasha. The fear of another rejection in a life that had already been full of loss. When she was fifteen, she couldn't understand what he had been through, thinking him nothing more than an insensitive jerk.

She knew better now and she hoped that her experience could help Ranma.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Ranma panted as he rested his hands on his knees, glancing up at the hanyou in front of him. The hanyou that wasn't even breaking a sweat as he stood there, arms crossed, watching the teen martial artist in front of him, ears flicking occasionally.

Inuyasha had taken to removing his concealment spell when Ranma was around, just as Shippo had. Whether it was to get Ranma used to seeing youkai as they really were, he didn't know but Inuyasha always _appeared_ more intimidating when not in his human form.

Inuyasha had surprised him when out of the blue, he invited Ranma to spar with him, leading him towards a large open area behind the shrine property. It couldn't be easily seen from the main shrine, anyone having to walk around the back of the buildings to find the way there, which was most likely why Inuyasha decided that it would be there they would spar. It also allowed him to remove the concealment ring he wore.

"You're holding back," he said sternly as he walked over to Ranma. Ranma looked up at the hanyou, noting the way the markings on his arms rippled with the movement of the muscles underneath, able to see them in their entirety as the Inu was only wearing a ribbed tank top and sweats. He had nothing on his feet, which Ranma had quickly learned he preferred.

"I can promise you, I'm not," Ranma stood up, coming face to face with Inuyasha.

The hanyou chuckled, shaking his head, his cheek stripes crinkling as he grinned. "Not consciously, no." Ranma stared at him, confused. "I'm gonna take a wild guess. You're not moving as fast as you normally do, not feeling as strong, as confident as you usually are. Tiring more easily." None of these were phrased as questions but as fact. Ranma swallowed as Inuyasha hit the nail on the head. He had been feeling that way for a while but hadn't figured out why. "Don't look so panicked, kid, it's nothing physical. You're too caught up in _here._ " He finished the sentence by smacking Ranma on the forehead with his palm, sending the teen staggering back a few steps.

Inuyasha waited for a moment as Ranma recovered, watching him as he stood up straight. He had heard much about the boy and his talents as a martial artist. Inuyasha had been doing his own discreet investigations into the boys' strength and had been pleased with what he had discovered. That had been the reason he had invited the boy to spar with him but it seemed the teen was not performing as he usually did.

Thinking back on his conversations with Ranma, it was clear that he wasn't allowing himself to let go as he normally would. And considering the amount of trouble he seemed to find himself in, that could be dangerous.

"You got too much whirling round in your head, you need to separate yourself from whatever else is going on." Inuyasha crossed his arms, watching the boy as he caught on. "If you don't you could be in trouble."

"You mean like the 'Soul of Ice'?" Inuyasha smirked at the name of the technique the Amazons had taught him. Inuyasha wondered if he should let Ranma in on the fact that it hadn't actually been the Amazons that invented that but his brother. The whole 'nothing affects me' shtick that Sesshomaru had going on wasn't an act. It literally didn't.

"Kinda," Inuyasha nodded, "but instead tamping down your emotions, you gotta focus on your mind. Block everything out and focus on your opponent. Even if you're not trying to be, you're too much in your own head. Clear your head."

Inuyasha backed up a little, his ears creasing back slightly as he smirked at Ranma. Ranma took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he cleared his mind of everything, trying to apply what he had learned for the Soul of Ice technique and applying it in the way Inuyasha had described. He didn't hear Inuyasha move as much as feel the subtle shift of air behind him, his leg swinging up to instinctively block the blow he knew was coming from behind. His eyes flew open to see Inuyasha's fist inches from his face. Using his own momentum, he swung his other leg round, launching himself towards the hanyou, forcing him backwards to avoid Ranma's foot impacting with his face.

He watched as Inuyasha executed a graceful somersault in the air, landing on the balls of his feet. "That's more like it." The Inu grinned, his fangs glinting in the sunlight before he literally vanished in front of Ranma's eyes.

Ranma launched himself to the side a split second before Inuyasha landed where he had been standing, the force of his impact creating a crater in the ground but Ranma didn't have the time to think about what that would have done to him if he hadn't moved as Inuyasha came at him again. Ranma managed to volley the majority of the attacks but he felt the ones that connected and they were more frequent than he liked. Ranma hurled his own attacks at the hanyou using the techniques taught to him by the Amazons to push the Inu back, causing Inuyasha to once again launch himself out of the way to avoid being struck. The low ponytail the hanyou had tied his hair back in had come loose, his long silver hair trailing as he appeared to literally float towards the ground.

He smirked at Ranma, crossing his arms over his chest as his ears flicked. "Not bad, kid." Ranma blinked as he watched him, prepared for another attack. "You're good for a human."

"Uhh . . ."

"Inuyasha! Ranma-kun!" The two of them turned to see Kagome standing by the edge of the area they were in, waving at them. "Dinner's almost ready."

"Come on, kid," Inuyasha walked towards him, throwing an arm around his shoulder and pulling him along. Ranma allowed himself to be led over to Kagome who stood there with a raised eyebrow.

"Inuyasha, I hope you weren't too hard on him," Kagome scolded lightly as they met up with her. "He is only human after all."

"Nah, what do you take me for, woman? I'm not about to go full pelt on a human," He crossed his arms behind his head and she shook her head at him before turning to Ranma.

"I called the dojo. They know you're not going to be home for dinner tonight." Ranma swallowed, slightly worried that his escape would be discovered by the Tendo's. Coming to the shrine meant that he didn't have to deal with everything there. "Don't worry. It was Akane that answered the phone. She said she'd make something up." He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Still not told them, huh?" Inuyasha asked as they walked back across the shrine grounds to the house. Ranma noticed that there was no one else about and reasoned that it must have been after closing for the shrine. That would have been why Inuyasha didn't put his concealment ring back on.

"Nah, I dunno, I just . . ." He felt like such a wimp admitting that he didn't want to deal with anyone there. "I mean, Akane knows where I am but the others . . . I don't want them to know."

Once they were inside, Kagome immediately shoved Inuyasha upstairs to shower, claiming he smelled like 'sweaty dog' which confused Ranma. As far as he was aware, dogs didn't sweat. Inuyasha went upstairs with little argument and they heard the shower switch on not long afterwards. Ranma didn't get off either. Once Inuyasha had come back downstairs wearing a t-shirt and dark jeans, he had been corralled up the stairs by Kagome, who insisted that he shower before dinner. Inuyasha snickered behind her, shrugging when he was looked to for help. The look on the hanyou's face just said 'give it up, kid'.

Ten minutes later Ranma was showered and came back downstairs wearing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that must have belonged to Inuyasha. He had found the clothes there in place of his own.

Inuyasha chuckled as he entered the kitchen, seeing the teen dressed in clothes knowing he'd been 'Kagome'd' as he called it.

"Where are my clothes, Kagome-san?" He asked and she pointed to a bag that was down by the door.

"Wasn't about to let you put dirty clothes on after a shower." She said matter of factly as she set the table for dinner. Ranma glanced at Inuyasha who just smirked again.

"There's no point in arguing, kid." Ranma was starting to get the hint on that one.

It turned out it was just the three of them that night. Kagome's mother, brother and grandfather had gone to a show and wouldn't be back until later on that night. Ranma revelled in the quiet as they ate, nothing like the table madness at the dojo. Even the meals he had where it was just him and his pop were more rowdy. Kagome told an amused Ranma about how she had brought modern food back to the Feudal Era and how they had marvelled at the 'ninja food' she had brought them. Inuyasha had shrugged reasoning that they had never seen it before and how were they supposed to know what it was.

Ranma found the story of Kagome taking Inuyasha shopping for the first time and his astonishment of all the different types of ramen there were particularly funny. Again the hanyou shrugged, not embarrassed in the slightest.

Kagome had just brought out a tray of tea when Ranma stiffened, sensing someone or some _thing_ standing behind him. Inuyasha's eyes flicked behind him before he took one of the cups of tea off the tray his mate had just laid on the table.

"So," Ranma stiffened a little more at the cool, detached voice behind him, turning to see a man standing there, his eyes fixed on the teen, "you are the whelp my little brother has taken interest in."

 _ **So Ranma's about to meet Sesshomaru.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.**_

" _So," Ranma stiffened a little more at the cool, detached voice behind him, turning to see a man standing there, his eyes fixed on the teen, "you are the whelp my little brother has taken interest in."_

Ranma couldn't help but stare at the youkai behind him. With his long silver hair, brilliant amber eyes, pointed ears and striking facial markings there was no doubt who he was.

Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha's older brother.

Kagome had been right when she had pointed out the similarities between Inuyasha and his brother. There was no doubt that they were siblings. But she hadn't mentioned how _different_ they were at the same time. While he had gotten used to Inuyasha's aura, recognising it when he came into contact with it, Sesshomaru's was completely different. Though there was something about it that seemed familiar, he reasoned that it may be that he was related to Inuyasha and due to his familiarity with the hanyou's aura, his brothers would not be dissimilar.

However, while Inuyasha was approachable, Sesshomaru screamed danger.

"Come on, Sess," Inuyasha rolled his eyes at his older brother, well used to his attitude after the centuries. "You're scaring the shit out of the poor kid. And who uses the word 'whelp' anymore?"

Sesshomaru looked away from Ranma to raise an eyebrow at his little brother, the hanyou he had once so despised. If someone had told him all those centuries ago that he and Inuyasha would one day embrace the other as family, they would have been dead where they stood.

He had despised his half-blood brother for so long that he didn't know any other way to feel towards the hanyou. The only way he could reason his lessening hatred for his baby brother was the influence Rin had had on him. Once she had come into his life, he had found himself doing things that he never would have dreamed. She brought out a lighter side to the youkai, one no one, not even Sesshomaru himself had known was there.

Once she had come into his life, his image of his brother had begun to change. Not that he would have ever admitted that to anyone. He had never allowed himself to think of humans as anything other than fodder, baseless creatures that were merely in his way. Rin had opened his eyes to how they could be.

Rin had opened his eyes and shown through her unquestioning loyalty that there had been more to humans than he had first thought. When he had impressed what Rin had shown him through her words and actions onto Inuyasha, he came to realise that it was in part, his human blood that made him so formidable. It was that part of him that gave him the strength to keep fighting and not give up.

As always, that train of thought led him to the memory of when he had attempted to take the Tessaiga using the human arm and jewel shard provided by Naraku. Even with a hole through his torso, the hanyou had not given up and Sesshomaru himself had known better than to continue.

It hadn't been until after the final battle with Naraku and the girl had been forced down the well for the last time that Sesshomaru had truly begun to accept his brother. He had found the hanyou sitting by the well, leaning against the ancient wood, Tessaiga cradled to his chest as it so often was. There was no doubt the hanyou had heard his approach, his ears swiveling in the direction Sesshomaru was coming from but he made no other sign until the youkai Lord was directly in front of him.

It was then that Sesshomaru had noticed the markings Inuyasha now sported. The purple cheek stripes, decidedly less jagged than they had been before. Noticing his brother's confusion, Inuyasha had shrugged stating that they hadn't disappeared since the confrontation with Naraku. When he had enquired about the miko, Inuyasha had looked away simply whispering that she was gone.

It was in that moment that Sesshomaru had decided he would not kill his baby brother.

He had left Rin in the same village Inuyasha and his companions resided in, knowing they would not allow any harm to come to the girl. He visited regularly, seeing the little girl and by default his brother. Even though it had taken them over two centuries, things were changing for the brothers. And neither of them seemed inclined to stop it.

Sesshomaru's first true discovery of how Inuyasha's attitude and trust towards his older brother had changed was after he had heard rumours of the miko's return, heading to the village to investigate for himself. He had come across the two of them outside of the small house they shared on the outskirts of the small village. The two of them had been resting in the sun and he saw that the hanyou was not immune to the Inu predilection of having a nap in the warmth of the sun.

What had astonished him – although he had managed to keep his facial expression neutral – was the fact that Inuyasha didn't stir when he approached. Not a muscle twitched as he approached the couple and he couldn't help but admire how young his brother looked. Considering his actual age, he was still considered a pup. Not that anyone would say that to the hanyou or risk losing a limb.

In complete contradiction, the markings now adorning his cheeks made him look so much like their father.

He had planned on leaving as soon as he had determined whether the rumours were true and seeing as Inuyasha had his head resting in the miko's lap, it was clear that they were. But he found himself drawn into conversation with the young girl who had seemed to grow up exponentially even though only a short amount of time had passed.

She had voiced the instincts he had always had when it came to the hanyou. She had been absolutely right when she had queried the Inu need for family and that being why neither he nor Inuyasha had been able to end the other's life. Sesshomaru had stated he had every intention of killing the hanyou each time they met but even a Lord such as himself could not fight his most base instincts. And judging by the smile on her face, she was pleased to hear that.

Well, he hadn't killed her mate, so he surmised she would be.

Standing there, looking down at the teenager sitting with his brother and his mate, he noticed Inuyasha stiffen slightly as his ears flattened minutely, amber eyes not leaving the youkai in front of him. Inuyasha would defend the boy if needs be. There was no doubt about that.

"Calm yourself, Inuyasha," he was met with an aggravated snort from the hanyou as he walked around the table, settling himself next to his sibling, "I merely wanted to meet the human that has been leaving his scent all over the shrine."

Ranma gulped slightly, glancing at Kagome who gave him an encouraging smile. He glanced over to the daiyoukai, noticing how he also had a cup in front of him. Kagome had to have known he was there to have brought four cups instead of three. He narrowed his eyes at her and she grinned innocently.

Turning back to Sesshomaru, Ranma moved into a low bow, recognising the power of the youkai in front of him. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sesshomaru-sama."

Inuyasha and Kagome glanced at each other, amused at Sesshomaru's pleased smile. While he was the Alpha where Inuyasha was concerned, his brother didn't defer to him in that way. Sesshomaru had given up on trying to get anything resembling that kind of respect out of his little brother. Kagome had likened it to 'trying to teach an old dog new tricks'. The both of them had been mildly offended at the line but had quickly shrugged it off causing the miko to giggle, saying that they were, in some cases, extremely similar.

"So," Inuyasha took another sip of his tea, "how's everything at the fortress?"

"Much the same," Sesshomaru picked up his own cup, settling it in the palm of his hand. "We have a new round of cadets which contain more kitsune's than the last group."

" _That_ should be fun," Inuyasha grinned, a gleam in his eye.

"Well, maybe your kit should explain to them what happens to those that pull pranks while on guard duty." Sesshomaru sniffed and Inuyasha chuckled at the memory. Shippo and another kitsune had decided that their bout of guard duty – something Sesshomaru had insisted Shippo partake in when at the fortress – had become too boring and wanted to liven things up. He was sure the two of them had hidden for a week after the reaming out and punishment they had received from the captain of the guard.

"Come on, you know that it wouldn't do any good. It's practically woven into their DNA to cause trouble," Inuyasha shrugged and Kagome nodded, grinning. "Besides, you can hardly call Shippo-kun a kit anymore. He's got kits of his own."

"Speaking of, Izumi wishes to know if the two of you are going to be attending the Autumn Gathering this year." Sesshomaru turned to face the couple, seeing the smiles on their faces at the thought of their first born.

"Of course we'll be there." Kagome answered for the both of them. "We haven't missed a year yet, have we?"

"Apart from that one year-"

"Sess!" Inuyasha growled, his ears flattening into his hair. Ranma was startled at the snarl that had come out of the hanyou. Apparently, his older brother had said something that had upset Inuyasha greatly. Sesshomaru paid no mind to the younger Inu, sipping on his tea in a dignified manner.

"Sorry, Ranma," he turned to look at Kagome who had an apologetic look on her face, glancing at the two brothers. "They get like this sometimes. They always know what buttons to push. Just feel lucky they're not trying to kill each other anymore." Ranma's eyebrows flew up, looking towards the pair. He had seen the Tendo girls go at it so he had seen first-hand how fiery sibling relationships could be, despite being an only child himself. But he didn't think the girls would actually _hurt_ each other. Maybe it wasn't the same for Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. "Oh, yeah, it could get pretty scary actually. You never knew what was going to happen when these two were in the same vicinity. I think there was only one or two times where the interaction _didn't_ end with them trying to take a chunk out of the other."

"That bad, huh?" Kagome nodded.

"Thankfully they haven't tried to do that over the last five centuries or so." Kagome smiled at the brothers who both seemed to be astutely ignoring the conversation happening next to them. "They grew closer over the years but there was still some tension, as there would be after fighting for _that_ long. It was only when Izumi was born that everything kind of just . . . faded away."

"Izumi was the first pup born into the Western Lands for over three hundred years," Sesshomaru interjected, causing the three of them to turn to look at him. "Her birth was greatly celebrated."

" _That_ was _not_ fun," Kagome shook her head, dispelling the memories of her first labour. While her pregnancy had been relatively easy, if not faster than she had been expecting – thank you youkai genes – her labour had not. Apparently, Inuyasha had been beside himself while she was giving birth, Sesshomaru having to restrain his brother himself as he had not been allowed into the birthing rooms.

"You have kids?" Ranma heard the shocked tone himself, mentally smacking himself in the face. They had been together for five hundred years. It would have been harder to believe that they didn't have children together. Sometimes it was easy to forget how old they were by looking at them.

"We have three," Kagome looked at Inuyasha, a sad glint in her eyes as he reached over and took her hand.

"So are they . . . quarter Inu's?" Ranma asked and Inuyasha smirked, shaking his head.

"Half." Ranma's brow furrowed, trying to work out how that happened. Kagome was human and Inuyasha was half human so that would have meant there would be more human than youkai in their children. His math wasn't _that_ bad. "Relax, kid."

"I know it sounds weird and basic math would support what you're obviously thinking but when it comes to youkai blood, nothing is simple." Kagome giggled and Inuyasha rolled his eyes, a soft snort coming from Sesshomaru. "You see; the reason our pups are half rather than quarter is due to Inuyasha's youkai blood. It's a lot stronger than human blood so while it comes to a balance when one parent is youkai and the other human," Inuyasha let out a snort at her words, clearly not agreeing with the 'balanced' part, "when it comes to anything else, the youkai blood will always overpower the human."

"So even though there's more human blood, the youkai blood will always end up with it being a half and half split within any children you have?" Kagome nodded, smiling as he caught on. "But if there was more youkai blood . . . it would end up being three quarters youkai?" She nodded again. "Huh. Human blood doesn't really stand a chance, does it?"

"Not when compared to youkai," Kagome squeezed Inuyasha's hand once again. "Especially when it comes to Inu's. Their bloodline is impressively strong."

Ranma looked to Inuyasha, noting that, other than the small snort he gave, he had been quiet during Kagome's explanation.

"Doesn't always make a difference, though." He said softly, looking towards his wife. He glanced towards Ranma, taking a breath. "Inu's may be strong but we're not infallible."

Sesshomaru placed a hand on the back of Inuyasha's head, the hanyou leaning into his brother's touch, a show of support that Ranma didn't quite understand. The daiyoukai looked over towards the teen who was watching them closely.

"Roughly three centuries ago, we lost a number of Inu's to a large group of hunters." Sesshomaru explained quietly and Ranma noticed a slight twitch in his hand, indicating that he was running his fingers along the back of Inuyasha's head. "They killed males, females, pups, it didn't matter. By this point, the Feudal Era had come to an end and there was relative peace, especially throughout the West. There had always been hunters, they themselves were nothing new. However, usually a hunter would not randomly attack. They were defenders of humans."

"Only going after youkai that had attacked humans," Ranma surmised and the daiyoukai nodded.

"Correct. These hunters however, seemed to have no such scruples. They killed any youkai they came across, no matter if they were causing harm." His free hand clenched into a fist, the only sign that he was upset. His face still fixed in a cool mask, his other hand still resting against the back of Inuyasha's head. "Once the attacks began, we of course had to fight back but their numbers only swelled."

"They were pretty much concentrated on the west," Inuyasha carried on quietly. "We didn't know if there were any others out there but we had an obligation to one of the Inu tribes in the North." He looked to Ranma, his gaze sad. "Kagome told you we have three pups, which is correct. We did have four."

Ranma sucked in a harsh breath not liking where the story was going. He looked to Kagome who had a death grip on Inuyasha's hand, looking down at the table.

"It was about a hundred and fifty years after the problems with the hunters started. We didn't want to go but it was something we couldn't avoid. Otherwise it could have cause conflicts between us and the Northern Inu clans and that wasn't something we could afford at that point. We were on our way back and had just crossed the border to the Western Lands when we were attacked," Inuyasha's voice was quiet but it didn't matter. You could have heard a pin drop from outside with the stillness in the air. "The guards only priority was to protect us, no matter the cost. And they all paid with their lives. You see by that time; humans had begun using firearms more than they had before. While crude by modern standards, they did the job. And not only that but they had monks and priestesses working with them so they were able to bless the projectiles, meaning they purified everything in their path. It was only because Kagome was able to create a barrier around us that we survived."

"Wait, the three of you were okay?" Ranma asked, letting out a sigh at Inuyasha's nod.

"We were the only ones that survived." Kagome whispered. "They tried to break through the barrier but they weren't able to. Eventually they gave up and left us."

"They didn't go far," Inuyasha carried on, "I could still hear them close by. They were waiting for us to drop the barrier and they were going to follow us to the fortress. If they had, it would have been a massacre. The casualties on both sides would have been immense."

"But what happened to . . ." Ranma trailed off remembering they hadn't mentioned their child's . . . pup's name.

"Honoka," Inuyasha smiled, his eyes closing for a moment as he leaned into his brother's hand. Seeing the two of them like that, Sesshomaru obviously lending comfort to his brother, Ranma couldn't see the truth in Kagome's words that they had tried to kill each other many times before now. He reasoned that if he saw them go at it, the opposite would probably be true. "We couldn't risk her, so we stayed inside the barrier. It wasn't long before Sesshomaru turned up. He has this neat little trick that means he can move people quickly."

"Did you go back to the fortress?" Ranma asked, wanting to know what had happened to the baby. If she had been their fourth but they only had three now, something had to have happened.

"No," Inuyasha shook his head, his ears drooping at the ends slightly. "We still couldn't risk it. Not with them around. It was the first time we'd used any kind of concealment spell. It was only supposed to be a temporary measure, until we could get rid of the hunters that were plaguing us but every time we wiped a group out, it seemed there were three more of the same size to take their place. The other three were older but Honoka was just a newborn. We managed to supress her youkai completely, forcing it down deep into her blood where it could never surface without one of us releasing it."

"You turned her human," Ranma whispered and Inuyasha nodded. "What happened?"

"We had heard of a noble family that took in children, raised them as their own. They were within the Western Lands so we could keep an eye on them." Sesshomaru explained, pressing his forehead to Inuyasha's temple, the younger Inu turning his head slightly, letting out a soft whine. Ranma remembered Kagome explaining that Inu's as a breed relied a lot on touch. She had told him that they could communicate almost completely through touch, sometimes not a word being said. She had also told him - when Inuyasha hadn't been around – of times when she had found the two Inu's curled up, asleep. She hadn't mentioned it to anyone before, not wanting to incur the wrath of her mate or her brother-in-law.

"You left her there." He said softly and Kagome nodded. Inuyasha pulled her to him, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Why didn't you claim her back once she was older."

"We would have done but we weren't the only ones watching the village which was more of a town at that point and growing all the time." Kagome said softly, resting her head on her mate's shoulder. "Several of the hunters had settled down there and would routinely launch purified ammunition anywhere to make sure there weren't any youkai around. If we had made any inclination towards her, there was no doubt she would have been killed. We couldn't risk it."

"What happened?" He dared to ask.

"She grew up, she got married, had a child of her own and he had a child . . ." _And died._ Ranma didn't need to hear the words. "She was eighty-four when she died. Which for a human was a long time, especially during the 1800's."

"We kept an eye on all of her descendants. It seemed that there would only be one child in a generation so that made it easier." Ranma's eyes flicked over to Sesshomaru as he spoke.

"What about the hunters?" He asked, wondering what had happened to them. He reasoned that with demons now using concealment spells, they would be harder to track down.

"Most of them were wiped out in the second World War." Ranma's eyebrows shot up, not having expected that answer. "We took care of the ones that weren't. Their numbers were low and their young men were being forced into the Japanese army to fight. The ones left behind were the ones with the brains not the brawn. They were easier to dispose of."

Ranma found that he wasn't disappointed to hear that. He could understand hunting youkai that were attacking humans. Inuyasha had admitted to doing so himself in the bits that he and Kagome had told him about their past. But to go around killing youkai for no reason, those that were trying to live peacefully was just wrong no matter what they were.

Every creature had the right to live in peace.

"It took a few decades but eventually, they were all wiped out." Sesshomaru sounded proud of the fact that those that had plagued them for so long had been destroyed and Ranma couldn't help but understand why.

"What about your descendants?" He asked, wanting to know about them more than anything else. "Did you tell them where they came from?"

"Not yet, no." Inuyasha shook his head, casting a meaningful look at Kagome who nodded, her eyes determined. "When the hunters had been dealt with, we found that our latest descendant was in pregnant." Ranma's eyebrows shot up again and he wondered if by the end of the tale he would lose them in his hair. "We kept a close eye planning on how we would introduce ourselves, explain everything, working everything out so that they had the choice of whether they wanted to embrace their youkai heritage or remain human. But we never got the chance."

"What do you mean?"

"As Sesshomaru mentioned earlier, every year there is an Autumn Gathering. There's also one for the Spring as well. As Inu nobility we are required to attend, else it be seen as a slight to the others in attendance. We'd been away for a week but when we returned, the boy and his father had disappeared. They had to have left just after we did because there was absolutely no scent trail. Not a trace. Which is hard with a two-year-old." Inuyasha's fist clenched, his voice gaining a small snarl at the mention of the father. His ears flattened once again, practically disappearing into his hair. Kagome placed a hand on his cheek, Sesshomaru's hand still on the back of his head, both clearly trying to calm the Inu.

"Did you find them?" Ranma had to admit, he was getting hopeful that they had. He wanted the couple that he had become close to over the last few weeks to get their happy ending when it came to their family. Call him a girl – though you might lose a few teeth in doing so – but the two of them had been through a lot from the sounds of it and they deserved to know where their family was.

"We did," Kagome smiled at him, a soft smile, her eyes shining with tears. "A few weeks ago. After fourteen years of searching, we found him. It didn't help that they never stayed in one place for long. We would search and there would be a whisper of his name but when we got there, nothing. But none of that matters now."

"Where is he?"

Looking to Inuyasha and getting a small nod from the hanyou, Kagome stood up, walking around the table, sitting next to Ranma, taking hold of his hand. "He's right here."

It took a few moments for Ranma's brain to catch up, flinging through all the possible scenarios before landing on the one they were implying. Were they saying that they thought _he_ was the one that they were looking for. That _he_ was their descendant. From the way Kagome was looking at him, that was all he could reason.

" _Me_?" He looked between the three of them and they nodded.

"I know it's a lot to take in and you probably don't believe us-"

"Now where would you get _that_ idea?" He shot back, pulling his hand away from the woman, staring at the two Inu across the table. Kagome didn't look upset, slowly placing her hands on her lap. "I don't know what kick you're getting out of this but it's not funny!"

"You believe this to be a joke?" The ice in Sesshomaru's voice could have frozen the Sea of Japan as he addressed the youngster across from him.

"Sess, easy." Inuyasha said softly, not wanting his brother to lose it in front of the already skittish teenager. "How did you think he was going to react?"

The youki that had begun to swell around Sesshomaru reduced, settling back down as he heard Inuyasha's words. All the daiyoukai had been concerned with was that his little brother and his mate had finally found the one they had been searching for and it was being thrown back in their faces. Of course the boy wasn't going to accept it at face value.

"Though it has been buried for many of your human generations, the Inu blood of InuTaisho still runs through your veins." Ranma recognised part of that name as being the last name used by Inuyasha and Kagome. "It will still recognise the call of family and the call of the pack Alpha."

"What does _that_ mean?" Ranma was prepared to bolt but having seen the speeds Inuyasha could reach, which far surpassed his own, he had no idea if he could get out without being grabbed.

Not saying a word, Sesshomaru straightened up, his eyes fixed on Ranma as he took a deep inhale. Watching Sesshomaru intently, prepared for an attack of any kind, he didn't notice Kagome cover her ears next to him.

What he was not prepared for however was the low rumble that rolled from Sesshomaru's chest followed by an almighty bark which sounded more like a roar to his ears. He noticed Inuyasha sit up straight, his ears focused forward and his eyes wide as though he had been called to attention. What he was also not prepared for what the same response from his own body. He found himself sitting up straighter, eyes fixed on the daiyoukai, unable to look away, the need to defer to him flowing through him without him knowing why. It was like his body was a live-wire, sparking with energy that he hadn't been feeling moments before.

 _What the hell was that?_

Sesshomaru sat, a smug smirk on his face at the boy's reaction. He had known Inuyasha's reaction would be the same. Argue he might but when Sesshomaru voiced the Alpha's call, his instincts took over. He heard Inuyasha give a soft bark in response followed by a low snort, shaking his head as he pushed those instincts back and Sesshomaru knew he was being given a glare that would make anyone else quiver in the corner.

"A little warning next time you feel the need to do that." He grumbled but did not lean away from his brother's touch, his hand still gently rubbing the back of his head as he had been since they had started telling Ranma everything.

"I agree," Kagome added, shaking her head probably trying to clear out the ringing she had stated occurred whenever he did that in her vicinity. It was loud but then again it had to be. Essentially it was a call to gain the immediate attention of all of his pack. And it had worked.

Ranma was clearly confused at his body's response to the sound that had come from Sesshomaru, not understanding the reactions and it seemed to be frightening him a little. He could understand. As a martial artist, he needed to know everything about his own body. He was required to know his body's responses to any kind of stimulus and the fact that it changed from male to female with something as simple as cold water was enough of a danger to him. Now, here were these people, youkai, telling him that they were in fact his ancestors and he had youkai blood buried within him.

It wasn't any wonder why he was – in Inuyasha terms – freaking out.

"What was that?" Ranma whispered, his muscles finally relaxing.

"That was the call of an Inu Alpha," Kagome explained quietly. "It's designed to get the attention of everyone in the pack. If everything we'd said wasn't true, your body wouldn't have reacted the way it did." Her voice was soft, trying not to overwhelm the teen more than he already had been. "It's the instinct to respond when the Alpha calls. Even Inuyasha can't help it." He flicked an ear, nodding when Ranma looked up at him.

"I . . ." he swallowed, his mouth bone dry, "I don't . . ." He looked around to those sat in the room with him. "I need to think about this."

And he was gone.

 ** _So while I had always planned this for Ranma, this chapter basically wrote itself. Wasn't what I had planned but hey, there we go._**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.**_

" _I . . ." he swallowed, his mouth bone dry, "I don't . . ." He looked around to those sat in the room with him. "I need to think about this."_

 _And he was gone._

Inuyasha couldn't stop the small whine that left his throat as he watched Ranma disappear out of the door, hating how needy he sounded.

"Ssh, brother," Sesshomaru whispered, his forehead once again resting against Inuyasha's temple, a show of support for his hurting sibling. Kagome knelt back down on his other side and he pulled her to him, smelling her tears. They had known that something like this could happen. They couldn't really have expected much different from the teen.

They would have to wait for him to come to them.

Until then, they would keep watch at a distance.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

"Look, I've already told you, he's not here!" Akane stood in the doorway that led from the Tendo home into the back yard, facing off against an angry Amazon and an equally angry okonomiyaki chef who didn't seem to be getting the hint. "I don't know where he is!"

Okay, that last bit was a lie. She had a feeling she knew exactly where Ranma was but she wasn't about to spill that to them. Being the only one who knew where he went to meant that she had to cover for him more often than not but most of the time she could say she either didn't know or that he was off training somewhere. No one had called her out on it yet so she wasn't too bothered.

Except when they didn't seem to get the hint!

For some reason, Shampoo and Ukyo had decided they weren't going to use the front door like normal people would but instead, they were going to jump over the back wall and try to creep into the house that way. If Akane hadn't been on her way back from the dojo, she wouldn't have seen them and they would have most likely snuck into Ranma's room.

Only to find a snoring panda probably.

The fact that Ranma wasn't here wasn't the point. It was the fact that they had taken it upon themselves to enter the Tendo property uninvited.

She knew exactly why they had done it as well. Her and Ranma's relationship had been developing ever since their talk on the roof. His words had made her realise that she had actually unfairly judged him. She reasoned that her only real experience with boys had come from the hentai horde that had attacked her every morning before school and Kuno, who was more a few screws short himself. Her past experience had caused her brain to go into overdrive when she had seen him for that first time in the bathroom.

She had come to the realisation that that night had been her fault and she should have read the sign on the door, not just assuming by the clothes in the hamper outside that she could walk in. But by the time she had realised that it had been too late and the first seeds of their tumultuous relationship had been sown. Add into that their father's wishes for them to get married it was a recipe for disaster from the beginning.

Since then, they had both quickly found what buttons to push and did so with regularity. However, she had to admit, when it came to the other girls, he was right. She hadn't listened to any explanation he'd given, always jumping to conclusions.

She knew that the whole thing with Ukyo wasn't his fault. That was his father being the scheming and underhanded asshole he could be sometimes. The fact that he had thought Ukyo was a boy until she reappeared in his life should have shown that. He had explained to her during one of their talks over the last few weeks that Ukyo had been the first friend he'd had and he didn't want to hurt her. He had tried to tell her that he wasn't going to marry her but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Shampoo on the other hand. Shampoo was only pursuing Ranma due to her tribes own ridiculous laws. There was no way to tell whether Shampoo actually cared about Ranma or just didn't want to go home empty handed, meaning she had to either kill him or marry him. Neither one of which sounded good to Akane.

Or Ranma for that matter.

He had been more forceful with Shampoo but it seemed to go in one ear and out the other and the fact that she had her great-grandmother backing her up and forcing Ranma into impossible situations didn't help. Like the whole episode with the Cat's Tongue. That had been unnecessarily cruel. Even though they hadn't gotten on at that point, Akane had still felt sorry for the guy. Stuck in a form he hated because some decrepit old crone wanted him to marry her great-granddaughter. Insane.

She froze as she heard the front door snick closed and knew that Ranma had just gotten home. She turned to glance over her shoulder at him, seeing a somewhat distressed look on his face. She blinked quickly, never seeing a look like that on his face. Not even when they thought that his mother had come to take him to live with her. She didn't think that Ranma had forgiven Happosai for that one.

"Airen!"

"Ranma-honey!"

She cringed at the high pitched voices coming from a few inches away from her and she knew they were seconds away from barging past her towards Ranma. She turned around, fixing the both of them with a glare.

"Look! I don't care what the hell you two want!" She growled, pushing the both of them back. She could see them gearing up for a fight but she didn't want to waste time on them. "This is our home and you need to get lost! Now!"

"Just go." The three girls froze at the detached voice from across the room. Akane turned to see Ranma standing there watching them with that look still on his face. "Shampoo, Ukyo, just go."

With that, he turned to walk up the stairs and Akane fixed them with another glare before slamming the sliding door shut and flicking the hook to ensure it stayed closed. It wouldn't keep them out if they really wanted to get in but she could only hope that they were as stunned as she was.

She turned, seeing that Ranma had disappeared. She slowly made her way up the stairs before knocking on the door to the room Ranma shared with his father. She waited for a moment before slowly sliding the door open, glancing around. She didn't see Saotome-san around but she quickly found Ranma sitting in the corner, knees pulled up to his chest kept in place by the vice grip his arms had on his legs, forehead dropped onto his knees. She wondered what had happened to cause this kind of reaction from him. It was as though he was trying to make himself as small as possible which was completely out of character for him. Normally he was boisterous and loud, you knew he was there or that he was coming. It was only if he was purposefully trying to hide from you that he kept quiet.

So this was unnerving.

"R-Ranma?" Akane quietly slid the door closed, flicking the hook into the door so no one else could get in. She went over to the window, checking below to see if the two girls were still there. She couldn't see them anywhere but that didn't mean that they hadn't snuck up onto the roof. She listened intently for a moment. If there was someone on the roof, even a shifting of weight could be heard if all was silent in the room below. She didn't hear anything so she moved away from the window, slowly approaching the other martial artist, ensuring he knew she was there so he didn't lash out.

"Ranma?" She knelt down in front of him, "are you okay?"

He let out a sigh, bringing his head up to rest his chin on his knees. "Have you ever found something out and . . . it just . . . completely changed the way you thought about everything?" His voice was so quiet, barely more than a whisper.

"Well, finding out that I had to marry you was pretty life altering," she chuckled, becoming more worried when it got no reaction at all. Usually there would be _something_ but not this time. _Something really big must have happened for him to be like this_. "Ranma, what's happened? Are you okay?"

"No, Akane, I don't think I am." He whispered looking up at her. The blue eyes that were so usually full of life and mischief were detached and lifeless. What the hell had happened to him?

"What happened?" She asked, shifting so that she was sitting beside him, rather than in front of him. She didn't want him to feel as though he was being boxed in. That was one thing you quickly learned about Ranma. When he felt cornered, he was at his most dangerous. "Ranma," she placed a hand on his bicep and he turned his head to look at her. "What happened?"

He took a breath, steadying himself. Did he tell Akane? _Could_ he tell Akane. Kagome and Inuyasha had never said that he couldn't tell anyone what they had told him, that he couldn't tell anyone what Inuyasha was but what if it was like some kind of unwritten rule or something? He didn't want to see what could happen if they found out he'd told Akane and wasn't supposed to. Especially considering they were convinced they were his ancestors.

And what was with that whole bark thing? He had seen Inuyasha react immediately as if on high alert but why had it made him feel the same way. Sesshomaru's words tumbled through his mind. _"Though it has been buried for many of your human generations, the Inu blood of InuTaisho still runs through your veins. It will still recognise the call of family and the call of the pack Alpha."_ Did that mean that Sesshomaru was supposed to be his 'Alpha' or whatever? And who the hell was InuTaisho?

He looked back to Akane to see that she was waiting for some kind of answer. He had the feeling that she wasn't going to let it go.

Letting out a sigh he closed his eyes and thought for a moment before throwing caution to the wind.

"I don't even know where to start," he whispered, his eyes opening as he felt Akane place a hand on his shoulder, a worried expression on her face.

"Wherever's easiest," she gave him a small smile and he nodded.

"Well, that would be the last time you hit me with your mallet," and with that he told her everything that had happened over the last few weeks. From when he woke up at Inuyasha and Kagome's house to how Inuyasha had been able to smell his male scent even though he had been female at the time. He told her about how he had discovered that the young man was not in fact human but inu-hanyou, not looking at her as he described seeing him for the first time in his true form. He told them all that they had told him about their meeting five hundred years ago – although he knew there was a lot more to their story than they had told him so far – the other youkai that he had met including Inuyasha's older brother Sesshomaru. Finally, he told her about what he had learned earlier that evening, reciting the story they had told him and how they believed that he was the descendant they had spent the last fourteen years searching for. He told her about his reaction to Sesshomaru's loud bark, or 'Alpha call' as Kagome had termed it and how it matched Inuyasha's response and how he had left the shrine and pushed himself as fast as he could go back to the dojo, his feet taking the practised route home without any cognitive input from his brain. He finished by telling her how confused he was and even though he had been able to accept the knowledge that youkai and hanyou's existed where humans did, hidden from them, he didn't want to believe what they had told him.

She sat for a long time, silence thrumming through the room, seeming almost deafening as she processed what Ranma had told her. She knew that there had been something going on over the last couple of weeks with the other martial artist but she had had no idea it could have been something anything close to what he had just told her.

How could she have come to that conclusion? His story seemed like something out of a fairy-tale. But looking at him, she knew that he was telling her the truth. Ranma was a horrific liar and would not have been able to make up a tale like that if his life depended on it.

She mulled over what he had said. Somehow, after everything they had seen and been through together, the thought that there were other things that weren't human wandering around made sense to her. Hell, if a place like Jusenkyo could exist, why the hell wouldn't youkai? She had a feeling that that wasn't what was troubling Ranma, though. It was their claim that he was actually descended from the child they had been forced to give up to the humans to keep her and the rest of their kind safe from the hunters he had mentioned. She wondered how they had known it was Ranma. Had they somehow engineered things so that they would come into contact with him?

She shook her head, dispelling that thought. No. They had first met him after she had sent him plummeting through the roof and to the canal with her mallet. There was no way that they could have engineered those circumstances.

It still left Ranma at a loss though.

He had been growing closer to these people, learning their secrets, the secrets of their world and now that had been thrown into disarray.

"So . . . what are you going to do?" She asked, bringing her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs, sitting in the same position Ranma had been in since she had found him.

"Huh?" He turned to look at her, disbelief in his eyes as he watched her closely. "Wait . . . you're saying that . . . you believe me?"

She let out a small chuckle. "Why wouldn't I?" She questioned and he blinked at her. "Look, we've both seen things that can defy logic. Ghost cats, cursed pools . . . any of those ring a bell?" She shrugged and rested her chin on her knees. "I don't think it's that that's bothering you though. I think that what's bothering you is . . . what if they're right?" She looked at him again, finding him staring a hole in the floor. "You said that this Sess-whatever guy-"

"Sesshomaru."

"Yeah, him, you said that he did this bark thing, right?" He nodded, his eyes drifting back over to her, barely able to make her out in the dark even though she was sitting right next to him. "And that for some reason, you responded." He nodded again. "And you also said you saw Inuyasha respond in the same way." Another nod. "But did Kagome?"

"Huh?"

"How did Kagome respond?" She asked and he sat for a moment, thinking about it.

He remembered that she had been sat next to him and she had seemed disoriented after he had managed to calm himself down. She had been shaking her head, grumbling, rubbing at her temple as though the loud noise had hurt. It had been a stark contrast to Inuyasha's response, the hanyou's body instantly at attention, his ears perked, focused completely forward and his eyes wide, shining with adrenaline. Much like Ranma had felt.

"She . . . she was different." He said softly, seeing where Akane was coming from. "It didn't seem to affect her at all, apart from looking like it gave her a headache."

"Then that would suggest that it's not effective on everyone." Akane shrugged, giving him a small smile. "And that it's only effective on those who are related to them by blood or have-"

"Inu blood." He finished, whispering and she nodded. He buried his face again, unsure about what to do with his newfound knowledge. "When did you get so reasonable and level-headed?" He grumbled and she laughed.

"It's something I've been working on the last couple of weeks." She shrugged again. "How's it working out?"

"It's weird." He mumbled and she laughed again. "What do I do?"

"I can't tell you that, Ranma," she said softly, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder again. "But, if you want me to, I'll be there with you."

"Thanks," he gave her a small smile, placing a hand on top of hers, causing the girl to blush lightly, thankful he couldn't see it in the dark.

She didn't remove her hand though, hoping that Ranma would take it as the show of support that it was.

She just hoped he didn't feel so alone.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Akane and Ranma spent a lot of time together over the next few days. Something that greatly pleased their fathers, seeing the teens grow closer. The two men could see their plans to have their children wed coming into fruition.

The teens in question were currently in the dojo, Akane finally having relented and allowing Ranma to help her train. When he had offered before she had thought he was only doing it to throw in her face that she was better than she was. Now that she had made a conscious effort to think before she spoke or acted, she could see that he was actually doing it out of a genuine want for her to improve. He didn't gloat and wasn't smug as she'd afraid he would be, much as he had been when she had offered to help the gymnastics team against Kodachi.

She reasoned that his aloof attitude and subtle snide remarks about what she was doing and doing wrong was most likely due to her very vocal dismissal of his offer when he had first arrived. She couldn't blame him to be honest. Thinking back, if she'd been rebuffed like that, she wouldn't be too inclined to offer assistance either.

"I have to talk to them again, don't I?" he asked from where he was lying spread eagle on the dojo floor. He leaned his head back, looking up at Akane who nodded and he groaned. "What the hell do I say to them? 'Sorry I ran out of here but I was too freaked out'? Don't think that's gonna cut it."

"I'm sure they'll understand." She reasoned, settling on her knees next to him.

He sighed, focusing on the ceiling again. "I guess," he bit his lip, turning to look at her. "Come with me?"

"To the shrine?" He nodded and she felt her heart beat ramp up. What would happen if she went with him? There wouldn't be any choice in admitting that Ranma had told her everything about them. How would they react to that? "I don't know-"

"I'm gonna tell them that you know, anyway." He shrugged and she blinked at him. "Look, I trust you, Akane. You didn't tell anyone where I was when I went to the shrine even though it would have probably made your life a lot easier if you had." He placed a hand on her knee and she felt a light blush run over her cheeks as she looked down at it. "Please?"

"A-alright." She whispered softly and he grinned in response.

It was the next day before they found themselves on the way to the shrine. Akane could see that Ranma was nervous about going back after what he had found out but he needed answers. He knew that and the only way to get them was to ask.

She looked at the steps leading up to the shrine wide-eyed before Ranma grasped her hand and starting running up the steps. She felt the tell-tale blush on her cheeks as she followed, relieved that he was in front of her.

They stopped when they reached the top and Akane turned to look back down the steps, seeing how far they had actually climbed. "How many are there?" She asked turning to look at Ranma who shrugged.

"Dunno," he shook his head, "never counted and never thought to ask." He turned around, facing the shrine and the house that lay nestled just behind it. Akane looked around, not having been there before. She, like Ranma, noticed the barred gate of the well house, but unlike Ranma, after what he had told her, she knew what was in there and why it had been closed off. He started towards the house, not having dropped Akane's hand. He didn't seem to notice he still had his fingers intertwined with hers and she wasn't going to make him aware.

They slowly approached the house and Ranma took a deep breath before knocking, glancing at Akane who gave him a small smile. They both looked at the door as it opened, Kagome standing there, a look of surprise and relief on her face.

"Ranma-kun," she sighed and he nodded, looking away from her. "Akane-chan?"

"Hello, Taisho-san," Akane gave a small bow to the older woman in front of her.

"Kagome, please," she looked to Ranma again, seeing him looking at her in a way she hadn't seen before. He was doubting her. "Ranma-kun, you know you don't have to knock."

"Yes, well . . ." he trailed off as she stepped back gesturing for them to enter. They walked into the living room to see Inuyasha sitting with Kagome's mother and younger brother. He was wearing his concealment ring. Whether he had been wearing it before they'd arrived or because he'd heard and smelled Akane, Ranma didn't know. Probably the latter considering he rarely wore it while in the house.

"Hello, Ranma-kun," Natsuko smiled at him, standing up before noticing Akane. "Oh, and who is this?"

"Obaa-san, this is Tendo Akane, Akane meet Higurashi Natsuko, Kagome's mother," Ranma introduced the two. "And that's Higurashi Sota, Kagome's little brother."

"Hello, Higurashi-san," Akane gave the same small bow she had to Kagome and just as she had with Ranma, Natsuko waved her off.

"Just as I told Ranma-kun, we're very informal around here. Call me Obaa-san."

"O-okay," Akane looked to Ranma who shrugged. He wasn't going to argue with her.

"I'm sure you all have a lot to talk about," Natsuko motioned for Sota to follow her. "We'll leave you to it."

"Thanks, Okaa," Kagome said quietly, motioning for the two of them to sit down at the table as Inuyasha settled himself on the cushion in his usual spot. Ranma sat where he usually did at the table, Akane settling next to him.

They didn't say anything as Kagome quickly gathered what she needed for tea in the kitchen. She seemed very much like Kasumi in that way. She believed that tea could ease a world of stresses.

"So, how are you?" Kagome asked quietly as she sat down, glancing up at Ranma.

"Been trying to figure stuff out, going through it my head." Ranma looked between Kagome and Inuyasha, the latter nodding in understanding before he turned to look at Akane. "Akane's been a really big help actually." Kagome looked at him, a little worried while Inuyasha's eyes narrowed minutely, figuring out where the teen was going. "I um, I told her everything. I'm sorry if you didn't want me to but . . . I just . . . I needed someone to talk to about everything you told me the other day and it wouldn't have made any sense if I didn't tell her everything and . . ."

"Hey, if you can trust her, kid, that's all I need," Inuyasha gave Akane a stern look which silently told her that she'd better not abuse that trust. She gulped slightly, seeing the dark brown eyes glance at her coldly. "Don't need to wear this then." He muttered, pulling off the concealment ring and sliding it into his pocket.

Ranma turned to look at Akane as Inuyasha's appearance changed immediately. He heard her let out a small gasp as she watched the changes that took over the hanyou. Ranma had become so used to it now that it didn't faze him anymore. Seeing someone else's reaction to it was different though. She sat there, her eyes wide as his hair bled from black to silver, his eyes turned from brown to the bright amber Ranma had become used to, the blunt human fingernails turned into vicious looking claws and the fangs and facial markings of the Inu appeared on his face. He couldn't help but grin as he noticed her eyes veering upwards and he knew that she had seen the ears perched neatly on the top of his head.

Inuyasha had apparently noticed as well.

"What the hell is it with the ears?" He grumbled and Kagome giggled.

"Well, they're so damn cute," he growled softly in response, his amber gaze settling on Akane. Kagome also watched the girl closely, noting her reaction to Inuyasha's true appearance. She seemed entranced by him, as many others were when in the presence of an Inu. They were enchanting creatures, the more beautiful of the youkai species and her mate was no exception. She also noticed the girl's proximity to Ranma. They were sitting closer together than they had been at the dinner at the Tendo's those weeks prior and they weren't as tense. She reasoned that if Ranma had been opening up to Akane, their relationship must have been improving.

As long as she kept that damn mallet away from him.

Kagome decided to wait and see what the girl did and act accordingly. She was still dubious but as Inuyasha had said, if Ranma trusted her then, well, she would see from there.

Ranma let out a sigh, looking down at the table. "How did-?" He took another breath, trying to steady himself. "Why did you think it was me?"

"Your scent," Inuyasha stated simply and Ranma looked to him. "When I found you at the canal, all I smelled at first was blood from the cut on your head. It wasn't until I got closer that I picked up your scent."

"But how did . . ."

"We'd kept an eye on all of our descendants from Honoka to you. I made sure that I knew each one of their scents, including yours. There's no way I would ever forget it. The only confusing thing was that you were a girl."

"When we knew that you were a boy."

"Obviously, the curse explained that." Inuyasha picked up his cup, taking a sip. "And then of course, your name."

"You knew from that first night then?" Akane asked and the two of them nodded.

"Obviously we couldn't come out and say 'hey, I've a good long sniff and did you know you're our great-great-great-grandson?'" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and she nodded in understanding. "It took us a long time to figure out how to tell you."

"Scaring the crap out of me with your brother part of the plan?" Ranma asked and Inuyasha scoffed.

"Hardly," Akane found her attention drawn to the top of his head again when his ears flicked and twitched, "that ass shows up whenever and wherever he wants to."

"Isn't he supposed to be your Alpha or something?" Ranma asked, confused over Inuyasha referring to his older brother as an ass especially after his own response to the bark thing he had done the last time Ranma was here.

"He's the _only_ one Inuyasha answers to," Kagome grinned at her husband.

"Doesn't mean I bow down to him every time he shows his face, though." Akane looked between Ranma and Inuyasha, seeing similarities between the two. She remembered pretty much the same situation with Ranma and Happosai. Ranma refused to bow down to the grandmaster martial artist. Mostly because he didn't agree with his underwear theft and he had a general dislike for the small man but essentially it was the same thing.

"So . . . what now?" Ranma asked, looking between the couple in front of him.

"What do you mean?" Kagome's brow furrowed, belying her confusion.

"If I am him, what happens now?"

"That's completely up to you, kid," Inuyasha gave him a serious look.

"What do you mean?"

"As we told you the other day, we sealed away the youkai blood in Honoka." He reminded the boy and Ranma nodded. "And we're also able to release it."

"You can do that?" Akane's jaw dropped at the thought that they might be able to do that. If Ranma _was_ the one they were looking for, they could turn him into a hanyou, like he would have been if the hunters hadn't appeared in the first place. But then again, she had no idea about youkai and how often they had children so it could also have resulted in Ranma not being born at all.

"We can," Inuyasha nodded, glancing between the teenagers in front of him. "But only if that's what you want, kid."

"Me?"

"Of course," Kagome gave him a soft smile, her brown eyes sparkling as they had been the other day. "We're not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do."

"The choice is yours, kid. You can either have us release your youkai blood and become a hanyou or you can stay a human. It's completely up to you. We're not going to shut you out if you want to stay human." Ranma swallowed, looking down at his hands, blinking when Akane's appeared in his line of sight, her fingers interlacing with his. He looked up at her, seeing nothing but support in her eyes. "We don't want a decision now, kid. You need to _really_ think about this. Cause if we do it and release your blood, there's no going back. We can't reseal it."

"Ever?" Inuyasha shook his head, his expression serious.

Ranma was in a position he didn't find himself in too often. The position of having a choice. Throughout his life so much had already been decided for him that sometimes it didn't feel like it was _his_ life at all. And now someone was giving him a choice and it was one that would affect him for the rest of his life, however long that may be.

Hanyou or human?

 _Can I flip a coin?_

 ** _Okay, so Akane is out of character and I'll admit, she's going to stay that way. She's going to be a support system for Ranma when he needs it the most._**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.**_

Ranma sat on the roof of the Tendo house, as he had much of the time since coming back from the shrine. He sighed as he looked out over the Nerima ward, seeing the lights flick on one by one as the sun started to go down. Due to it being summer, the days were longer and it was later than it felt. He wondered what everything would be like the day after tomorrow.

Would everything around him be the same?

He had no reason why it shouldn't be. _He_ was the one that was changing after all.

After he and Akane had left the shrine, they had spent much of the time talking about what he was going to do. Akane urged him to think about it, to weigh up the pros and cons of the choice he had been given. Kagome and Inuyasha hadn't been shy about the information he would need. Inuyasha had made it perfectly clear to him that there would be another side to him. Another side that would, at times, be difficult to control.

He had told them about the times he had lost control and his youkai had taken over. Kagome had told them how he had been as he couldn't remember what had happened or what he had done while in that state. Part of Ranma had no trouble visualizing the damage Inuyasha could do. He glanced down at the claws gracing the hanyou's fingertips and found himself wondering how strong they actually were.

Once they had gotten home and been able to spend time alone together, he and Akane had sat down and talked about it. She helped him to weigh up the pros and cons of either choice he made. And if he was completely honest, the knowledge that he could lose control at any moment was the only real con he could think of.

He had thought about it pretty much constantly for a week before he went back to the shrine. He had told them he wanted to do it. He wanted to know what it was he came from. He wanted to know that part of his heritage.

When he thought about it, _really_ thought about it, what they had told him made sense. He reasoned that if there wasn't something else there within his blood, he wouldn't have responded to Sesshomaru's call. He had done it again when Akane was there, taking them all completely by surprise and once again he felt like he had just been zapped by a live wire. Even Akane had noticed that he had immediately changed while all she had was a ringing in her ears. Something Kagome said was normal after one of those things.

She'd grumbled that even after five hundred years, it still hurt her ears.

He had been pleased to see that after the initial awkwardness and judgement from Kagome, the two of them were getting along. The two of them had disappeared for quite a while when he had gone round there and neither would tell him or Inuyasha what they had spoken about. Apparently Kagome had managed to work out how to create a barrier that was so thick, he couldn't hear what was being said behind it. He'd grumbled when she'd put it up before stating that it had taken her two hundred years to perfect that one.

And not only that, it was a spiritual barrier, which meant that any nosy youkai or – more than likely – hanyou would get zapped if they got too close.

Inuyasha had taken the time to explain that if they were to do it, he would require something that could hold his demon blood. He had then explained about Tessaiga, pointing out the old katana that Ranma had noticed but not really paid attention to. Inuyasha had taken out of the glass case it was in, bringing it to where Ranma was sat before nodding for him to follow him outside, out the back of the shrine where they had taken to sparring when the shrine had closed for the day. He had then passed the katana to Ranma, who had slid it out of the sheath, seeing nothing more than a dull and nicked blade that didn't look as though it could cut wet paper. When he'd said as much, Inuyasha had smirked and told him to toss the blade over. Upon doing so, Ranma's jaw dropped at the sight of the rust old blade he had just been holding transforming into what he could only call a fang. From what he could see it was as long as Inuyasha was tall. Inuyasha gave him another smirk as he held his hand out for the sheath which Ranma realised he was still holding.

They had both turned when they'd heard Kagome yelling out the window, telling Inuyasha that he'd better not 'Wind Scar' anything, whatever that meant. When he had asked, Inuyasha had just told him he'd show him sometime.

He had then gone on to explain that while Tessaiga was a formidable weapon, one that he had felled many enemies with, it had a dual purpose. It had been reforged at the request of his father to contain his youkai blood. While he now had control over that side of him, there was still a chance that he could lose control so he kept Tessaiga close. He had explained that if Ranma was absolutely sure that he wanted to let his youkai blood out the they would need to have something created to control it. Inuyasha had admitted that that was the reason he had introduced Ranma to Totosai.

Ranma had been unbelieving at the hanyou's words but Inuyasha had explained that it was the old swordsmith that had created Tessaiga and the twin blade that Sesshomaru had possession of, the Tenseiga. Inuyasha had given him another smirk when Ranma had pointed out that walking around with a sword wasn't exactly something a person could hide – unless you were Mousse of course – letting Ranma know that while Totosai was essentially a swordsmith, he was the only one they knew of that could forge something for the purpose of containing a hanyou's youkai blood.

He'd _knew_ he was being judged by the old man.

Akane had asked him numerous times if he was sure and while he knew why she was asking, he was getting tired of repeating that he was sure. He just had to trust that they knew what they were doing.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Ranma took a deep breath as he and Akane stood at the bottom of the stairs. He could see out of the corner of his eye that she was fighting with herself whether to ask if he was sure, before there was no turning back.

He managed to avoid the question by starting up the steps, turning to look back at her as she stood there, watching him. He gave her a small smile and she returned it, following him, keeping step easily. The two of them stood at the top of the stairs, watching as the sunset turned the buildings of the shrine various different colours, pinks and purples splaying across the grey stones in front of them.

They walked over to the main shrine building, where Kagome had told them they would be setting everything up. She had reasoned that as it was larger, it would give maximum manoeuvrability if it was needed and it would allow her to create a large barrier to ensure that nothing was drawn to them by any energy that would be released.

They had explained what would happen. Essentially it was extremely simple. All that needed to happen was for Inuyasha to release the youki from where it had been locked away inside Honoka's blood and was still locked within Ranma's. It sounded simple but they had told him that it would be exhausting, the amount of energy required was extreme.

He had also been told that it would hurt.

A lot.

Inuyasha had also warned him that when he came to after they had finished, whenever that would be, he wouldn't be himself. He wouldn't be the Ranma that anyone else knew. At least not to begin with. He would be running on instinct and would need grounding. His senses would be on overdrive and there wouldn't be anything he could do about it until everything settled.

That was one of the reasons Akane had come with him. She was there to support Ranma, so he knew he wasn't going into it alone but her presence had a dual purpose. She was also there to help ground Ranma. Kagome and Inuyasha had told them that if there was someone that Ranma recognised, in sight and scent that was connected to his everyday life, it would help bring him back to himself quicker. She had been willing to do whatever she could to help Ranma.

They slid open the door to the shrine, seeing Inuyasha and Kagome already there. The only thing that they could see that wouldn't have been there normally was a large pile of cushions and from what he could tell, furs, in the centre of the shrine. He had to wonder what those were for as he and Akane took off their shoes, dropping their bags next to them, walking up to the couple.

Getting out of the Tendo home and giving the excuse of a training trip while they were off school had been extremely easy. The both of them knew that Soun and Genma were not about to stop them from taking a training trip just the two of them. The only thing was, they'd had to wait until Kasumi had left on her daily trip to the market. Being old fashioned as she was, she worried about the two of them being alone together. She wouldn't be happy when she found out but at that point, there wouldn't be much she could do about it. Either way, it gave them at least a week for Ranma to be able to adjust to the changes he would no doubt go through.

Kagome walked up to the two of them, wrapping Ranma in a hug which startled him slightly before he hugged her back. If this worked then she would know for certain that he descendant had been found and she would have her family back. She pulled away, placing a hand on Akane's shoulder, leading her towards two plush cushions on the far side of the shrine.

"Whatever happens," she said softly as they sat down, "do not move off of that cushion." Akane turned to look at her, seeing her watching the two males in the centre of the room. "Anything you do, could get you hurt." She looked towards Ranma and Inuyasha who were walking towards the pile in the centre of the room.

"What's with the cushions and furs?" Akane asked and Kagome gave her a small smile.

"They're literally drenched in Inuyasha's scent." Kagome explained, "when Ranma comes to, he's going to be disoriented and there is nothing more grounding to an Inu than the scent of family. While he'll have Inuyasha there, the materials around him have also absorbed Inuyasha's scent."

"Magnifying it," Akane concluded and Kagome nodded, a pleased smile on her face.

The two of them turned to look back at the two men on the other side of the room, seeing that Inuyasha was leading Ranma into the centre of the pile, getting him to sit down.

Ranma was nervous and he knew that Inuyasha could tell. He saw the Inu turn to Kagome and nod. She smiled at the two of them before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. He watched her as the walls of the shrine seemed to glow a soft pink, slowly getting brighter before the light shifted inwards, creating a dome that encompassed the four of them. She opened her eyes, nodding to Inuyasha, who settled behind Ranma, moving the strap of the tank he wore away from his neck. He had asked him to remove his outer shirt, leaving him in the tank he had taken to wearing underneath, to allow the hanyou access to his neck. The thought had Ranma freaking out a little but he remembered that Inuyasha was going to have to bite him to release the youkai blood in him.

Yup, still slightly freaked.

"Last chance, kid," Inuyasha said softly and Ranma could feel his breath on his shoulder. "If you don't want to do this, just say the word."

Ranma's only response was to tilt his head, baring more of his skin to Inuyasha. Apparently it appeased the Inu as he wrapped the fingers of one had around his shoulder and the other around his forehead, pulling his head to the side a little more, exposing more of his throat.

Ranma closed his eyes and sucked in a breath as he heard Inuyasha let out a low growl before he felt his fangs brush gently across his skin at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. He couldn't stop the slight whimper that broke free as the same fangs sunk deep into his skin, held in place by Inuyasha's superior strength.

Inuyasha pushed past the taste of Ranma's blood on his tongue, allowing a little more of his youkai free, a slight red haze taking over his sight, knowing that his eyes had most likely turned a faint red, his claws lengthening around Ranma and his fangs digging deeper into the boys flesh as his fangs elongated. He heard Ranma's grunt of pain as he felt the hanyou's fangs slicing into the muscles beneath his flesh and he rumbled deep in his chest, almost a purr to calm the boy. His youkai knew that was family, could sense it and wasn't pleased that it's family was in pain.

He felt Ranma relax against him slightly, as much as he could do with a set of extremely large fangs in his shoulder and Inuyasha continued the soothing sound, needing the boy as calm as possible lest he hurt himself.

He closed his eyes, pulling on his own youki and pouring it through the bite into Ranma, allowing it to fill him completely. Inuyasha pushed searching for that long locked away part of Ranma, the youki that had been buried in the human generations. He pushed even further into the depths of Ranma's very lifeblood with his own power, feeling the thrum of the youki he had been searching for. As though he was hunting through the forest for his next meal as a youngster, he followed the trail that would lead to releasing the power inside Ranma.

Forcing his way deeper, he felt the familiar tingle of the Inu youki that belonged to every member of his family. Extending his own around it, he worked on coaxing it to the surface which wasn't easy after two hundred years and several generations of being locked away. His own youki forming a tight grip on Ranma's, he withdrew, pulling it with him to allow it to merge with the human side of Ranma. It followed him slowly, the consciousness that all youki had tentative while the instinctive part wanted nothing more than to surge forward. It was that part that would need to be contained. It was that part of Inuyasha's own youki that had to be contained when he was younger, before he managed to gain more control over it. He still had to make sure he was aware in stressful situations – with thankfully were less in the modern age – but the majority of the time, he had it under control.

He would now need to teach Ranma that control.

Inuyasha withdrew, Ranma's own youki surging through his blood, merging with the human make-up the boy already had. Inuyasha's youki remained on the surface, ensuring that it wouldn't fully take over the boy. As Ranma's elder and ancestor, he was the boy's Alpha and for the moment, the youkai instincts and youki that were currently twisting their way into his very DNA seemed to realise that.

He had no doubt that it would challenge that before long.

But Inuyasha would be ready when it happened.

Instincts telling him when the newly released power within the boy had settled down, Inuyasha pulled his own youki back completely, taking it back within himself and removing his fangs from Ranma's neck. He let out a soft growl, laying the two of them down on the furs they had been sat on. The boy had passed out which wasn't a surprise to the hanyou.

He heard movement from the other side of the room, his youkai instincts clutching the boy closer to him, a loud growl rippling through the air as whoever it was approached.

"Easy," he heard the soft tones he knew as well as he did his own voice float over towards him, relaxing slightly as the familiar and welcome scent washed over him. _Mate._ "Akane," his attention was drawn to the other body that had followed his mate over, seeing the trembling girl in front of him, clutching Ranma's unconscious form tighter to his chest as he let out a snarl. "Akane, very slowly, put your hand in front of his face."

"W-what?" He could hear the fear in the girls' voice, the tone familiar to him somehow but his instincts viewing her as a potential threat.

"Inuyasha's youkai is in control at the moment," he let out another low growl as his mate addressed the girl, "but you've been around enough that he knows your scent. Inu's rely on scent far more than anything else. Once he can smell you, he should settle."

"O-okay,"

He kept a close eye as his mate leaned over and grasped the girls hand, bringing it slowly towards him. Another low growl erupted from his chest, a warning and the girl went to pull away but his mate grasped her hand tighter, not allowing her to move away.

"It's okay," he felt the touch of his mate, one he would recognise anywhere on the top of his head, gently rubbing the base of one of his ears as he kept a keen eye on the hands in front of him. "She's a friend. She's okay."

He could smell the fear coming from the girl as he pulled in a large quantity of air through his nose, her scent becoming familiar to him. Letting out a snort, he realised this was his family's potential mate. He let out one last snort, seeing her tense before he moved back into his mate's hand, her ministrations on his ear continuing.

"We need to turn Ranma over." Kagome looked over to Akane, letting go of her hand. The girl was transfixed on the Inu that until moments ago had been snarling at her in an extremely threatening way. She knew that Inuyasha wouldn't have hurt the girl, not while she was there but she also knew it was for the best that she remind him of Akane's scent. Due to the sheer amount of power he had had to exert, his youkai was in control and would probably remain that way until he woke. He was exhausted, she could see that. Unfortunately, that made him even more dangerous than normal. Akane looked up at her, a look of terror in her eyes and she could see she wanted to refuse. "When Ranma wakes up, he's going to be overwhelmed and confused. The first thing he needs to know is that he's with family, that he's safe. The most effective way to do that is through scent."

She looked down at Inuyasha again, who while he was no longer growling at her, clearly had a keen eye on her.

"We need to turn him so he's facing Inuyasha, that way the first thing he'll smell and see is Inuyasha himself." Kagome reiterated and Akane gulped not wanting to get any closer to the youkai controlled hanyou.

"So that he knows he's safe?"

"Exactly." Kagome leaned over Inuyasha, looking up at Akane. "Don't worry, I'll move Inuyasha, you just need to turn Ranma over as quickly as you can."

Akane nodded, kneeling down on the soft furs the two of them were lying on. She kept an eye on Inuyasha who let out a particularly vicious snarl as Kagome moved his arms but he made no move to stop her as she soothed him. She clearly had experience dealing with this side of him and she looked up at Akane, nodding. Glancing down at Inuyasha, Akane noticed a very faint pink glow coming from Kagome's hands, a paler colour than the barrier currently encasing them. She knew Kagome was a priestess so maybe she was using her spiritual power to keep Inuyasha back. It would make sense. She tried her best to ignore the blood that was running from Ranma's shoulder, Kagome telling her that while it looked bad, it would most likely be healed by morning. Akane had her doubts but didn't voice them.

She managed to roll Ranma over and Kagome released Inuyasha who rapidly clutched the boy to his chest, looking every bit the protective Inu.

"Umm . . . Kagome?" Kagome hummed as she moved away from the hanyou, walking round to where Akane was still kneeling, staring at Ranma. "Do you see this?"

Kagome let out a small gasp as she saw what Akane had. Two thick streaks of silver now ran through Ranma's previously solid black hair, glittering in the shimmering light of the barrier, much like Inuyasha's was. But that wasn't the only thing Akane had noticed.

"Kagome," the woman turned to look down at Akane, following her line of sight, a wide smile forming on her face. "Where are Ranma's ears?"

Kagome moved again, settling right next to Inuyasha's head, reaching down slowly, not fearful of but still slightly wary of the hanyou at the moment. Akane couldn't blame her. She was downright terrified at the moment.

But at the same time, she couldn't help but watch in wonder as Kagome, brushed Ranma's hair aside and hooking her finger slightly, gently pulling it up and revealing on one side and then the other, a pair of dog ears, much the same as Inuyasha's. The only difference was that they were black, save for a tiny spot of silver on each tip. Immediately after Kagome released them, they crinkled back down, resting just on top of his hair, not sinking back underneath as they had been before.

"Like we said, youkai genetics," Kagome giggled, running her fingers over Ranma's new ears once again. Kagome motioned for her to come closer and she very slowly did, knowing that Inuyasha's red eyes were following her every movement. Kagome grasped her hand once more, moving her fingers so they lightly brushed against the outside of the new ear and she gasped softly, feeling it twitch against her finger before settling back into its slightly creased position. "Don't worry, if he's anything like Inuyasha they'll perk right up."

Inuyasha let out another snort followed by a soft growl as he watched the two of them marvelling over his family. His instincts had calmed slightly, knowing the other girl was not a threat but she was not family. The two of them stood up, each moving to either side of the furs that surrounded him and his family. They each picked one up and very gently laid them over the two males. Inuyasha was immediately engulfed in his own scent and he rumbled low in his chest as the furs covered him. He clutched the unconscious teen closer as his mate leaned in, pressing her nose into his hair, whispering to him before covering the both of them, blocking out any and all light.

Satisfied that there were no threats that could harm his family, he buried his nose into the boy's hair, inhaling the scent that was familiar and not at the same time, memorising it before he closed his eyes, allowing himself to rest.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Inuyasha woke with a groan, his head splitting and his mouth tasting like something had died in it. He stretched out his neck as much as he could, his nose catching the scent that was mixed up with his.

The unmistakeable scent of hanyou.

Ranma.

Inuyasha knew that it had worked through the teen's scent alone and he relaxed a little, breathing him in. He needed to know the scent as well as he did his own. He had to protect Ranma. It was his job as his Alpha to do so.

He managed to pull his arm up, breaking through the thick furs enough so that his head stuck out but kept Ranma completely covered. He pulled the furs around himself again, tucking them around him so his scent remained trapped within the thick folds of the furs wrapped around him and the teen.

"Afternoon, sleepy head." He turned his head, seeing Kagome walking over to him. He gave her a soft smile as she knelt down, her fingers gently rubbing behind his ear. He couldn't have stopped the purr that erupted from his chest even if he had realised it was coming. "How're you feeling?"

"Like I've gone ten rounds with Sesshomaru in human form," he grumbled and she giggled.

"Here," she held up a bottle of water, equipped with straw so he could have something to drink, knowing he wouldn't want to move away from Ranma.

"What time is it?" He asked, wondering how much of the day he had slept away.

"It's just after four in the afternoon." Kagome put the bottle down next to her, brushing his bangs away from his face. "You obviously exhausted yourself last night."

"But to sleep pretty much the whole day away . . ." he knew he had good reason but it still made him feel kinda lazy.

"You needed it," she said softly, her eyes drifting towards the lump next to Inuyasha showing where Ranma was cradled against the hanyou. "The both of you did."

"What about the shrine?" He asked, noticing they hadn't been moved – not that anyone would have dared try. Even Sesshomaru knew better than to try and interfere with one of his pack protecting a pup. He noticed that the barrier was still up, reasoning that it would also come in handy should Ranma really freak when he woke up. It would give him a nice little zap, indicating he couldn't go any further.

"We've put a closed sign on the post at the bottom. A couple of people have asked so Mom's told them that we discovered a wasp's nest and we're going to be closed for the next couple of days. He raised an eyebrow at the time frame and she shrugged. "It's not like there's a manual for this kind of thing. We didn't know how long the two of you were going to take to wake up." He noticed Akane sitting on the other side of the room, as close to the barrier as she could get. "She's um . . . a little afraid of you after last night."

"Oh no," he groaned realising that Akane must have been introduced to his youkai form in a less than polite way. "What happened?"

"Just some growling and a couple of particularly nasty snarls." Kagome shrugged and Inuyasha sighed. He had known that his youkai taking complete control was a risk but he hadn't gone berserk in centuries and his youkai had a pack member to protect. It obviously hadn't seen the young girl as much of a threat. "Don't worry Akane, he's regular Inuyasha again."

The girl looked apprehensive before she moved slowly forwards to where Kagome was kneeling and he was still cocooned in furs. "I'm sorry if I scared you last night, Akane," he was. He'd heard how terrifying his youkai form could be, how vicious it was and he hated that he had put yet another person through seeing that.

"It's okay," he could hear the slight tremble in her voice and he knew that no matter what she had been through in her short life so far, she hadn't ever seen anything like he had been the night before. She probably realised that in front of her was a creature that would have no qualms about killing her. "I know that you were just really protective of Ranma." She glanced down towards where she could just about make out his still form underneath the mountain of furs encasing the two of them.

"He's fine," Inuyasha said softly, his hold tightening ever so slightly. "He's sleeping at the moment, which is best. But his heartbeat is strong."

She nodded but her eyes and stiff posture still showed her wariness. He rested his head down, letting out a soft sigh. He heard slight movement behind him, paying it no mind until an unfamiliar hand was guided to the base of his ear.

He stiffened slightly, his ears flattening against his head until expert fingers guided new, uncertain ones to begin a gentle massage. That combined with the warm, cosy cocoon he was currently wrapped up in, he quickly found himself relaxing, a low purr rumbling from his chest as his eyes began to feel heavy.

"I told you," he heard Kagome giggle, "a good ear rub and he's no more dangerous than a puppy." He decided to let that remark go because for not having done it before, Akane gave good ear rubs.

Inuyasha knew the momentRanma began to wake.

He was instantly alert as he felt the boys' breathing change, his heart beat move from the steady slow tempo that indicated sleep to a much faster, uneven rate that could indicate minor panic.

"Move away," he warned and Kagome immediately grabbed Akane, pulling her away from the two of them. Inuyasha didn't move for a moment, feeling Ranma shift in his arms. He felt him tense and knew that he was awake enough to be aware. What he didn't know, was he going to be cognitive and rational or was he going to be running on pure instinct? Inuyasha was betting on the latter.

He tightened his grip as a growl rumbled through the teen, confirming that Ranma's instincts were on high alert and he was perceiving the furs he was encased in as a threat. He pressed his face into his chest, ensuring that the only scent he could find would be that of Inuyasha.

Ranma let out another growl as he realised he was being restrained, working hard to try and free himself. Inuyasha had ensured that the teen's arms were pinned in between the two of them, folded up against Ranma's chest, his palms facing the boy so he wouldn't be able to use the new claws that would tip his fingers. However, due to his face being pressed against Inuyasha's chest, his teeth were also in close proximity.

Unfortunately for Inuyasha, that's what he chose to use.

"Ow!" He winced, feeling the scrape of Ranma's new fangs against his chest.

"Claws?" Kagome asked, a grim look on her face as she watched what was happening.

"Teeth," she winced in sympathy and Akane dreaded to think of what Ranma was going through.

Inuyasha shifted his arm to wrap around the back of Ranma's neck, his gripping the back of the boys' head as he held him tighter, not allowing him the minute manoeuvrability he had had a moment ago. Working to restrict his movement so he wouldn't hurt either himself or Inuyasha, he threaded his fingers into Ranma's hair, blinking in slight surprise as his fingers brushed against something on the top of his head.

Inuyasha didn't have a chance to dwell on the fact that there was now a pair of dog ears, quite possibly not unlike his own sitting atop Ranma's head as the teen in question upped his struggles. Inuyasha took a chance, gently rubbing one of his ears and rumbling low in his chest, emitting the same purr he had the previous night to calm Ranma.

Ranma continued to struggle, his own growling and snarling becoming more vicious and increasing in volume. Inuyasha realised that trying to comfort him was not going to work so he manoeuvred his head back underneath the furs before letting out a sharp bark similar to Sesshomaru's, holding a warning before letting his own deep growl loose. Ranma answered in kind and Inuyasha grabbed one of the newly formed ears in his teeth, adding a little pressure, knowing how sensitive to touch they were.

Ranma's physical struggling stopped at the gentle bite, his instincts immediately telling him that to continue would cause pain but his vocal objection to his current situation did not subside. Inuyasha let out another bark, just as loud without relinquishing his hold on the captive ear. He felt it twitch as the other one creased back, trying to retreat from the noise. He increased the ferocity echoing from his own throat, asserting his dominance over the younger, newly released Inu-hanyou, allowing a little of his youki to ebb out, touching Ranma's.

The younger male immediately quietened, his body becoming slack at the warning threat coming from the elder Inu, recognising the dominance of the other male. Inuyasha mentally sighed with relief as he heard a low, submissive whine come from the boy in his arms, knowing that he was relinquishing to the stronger male. Upon hearing this, Inuyasha once again, began gently rubbing the ear he didn't have trapped between his teeth, reverting back to the purring he had been emitting before. He felt Ranma relaxing against him, his struggles finally ceasing and he released his ear, giving it a gentle lick where his teeth had been. He heard another small whimper come from Ranma at the contact before the boy's breathing evened out and Inuyasha knew he had fallen asleep once again.

He let out a sigh, closing his own eyes and laying his head down. He let himself drift off, knowing he would need all the strength he had to get Ranma through the next few days.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.**_

Akane stared at the pile of furs which had, until a moment ago, been the source of absolutely terrifying growls and snarls. They had stopped almost instantly and the only sound that could be heard was a low purring which Kagome had told her was Inuyasha comforting Ranma.

"What was that?" She whispered, not wanting to make any more noise than necessary.

"Essentially," Kagome said softly, " _that_ was Inuyasha asserting his dominance over Ranma."

"Huh?"

"Think about it this way," Kagome reasoned, motioning for Akane to follow her towards where they had food and their bedrolls from the night before set up. "In every pack there is an Alpha. The strongest of the group. As far as Ranma is concerned, that is Inuyasha. Like we've said before, the only one Inuyasha answers to is Sesshomaru."

"So when Sesshomaru isn't around, Inuyasha is the Alpha." Akane surmised and Kagome nodded.

"Sesshomaru doesn't come to Tokyo that often, what with Inuyasha being the only Inu here, well, he _was_ and the majority of them still inhabiting the area where the Western Lands used to fall. Of course to the youkai, it still _is_ the Western Lands but that's by the by." She shrugged and Akane nodded, understanding. "Inuyasha _is_ an Alpha and he has to drum that into Ranma as quickly as possible."

"And he'll accept that?" Ranma had never liked being told that he was below anyone else. If beaten, he would always push himself harder to prove himself not only to others and the one that had issued the challenge but to himself. It was part of what made him so formidable. He didn't give up.

"For the moment, yes," Akane didn't like the sound of that. "I'm sure that Ranma will, at some point soon, challenge Inuyasha's dominance."

"How can you be so calm?" Akane wondered at the woman who sat there as though this was an everyday occurrence for her.

"Because I've seen it before," well maybe it was, "a younger Inu will either get cocky or grow irritated with being dominated by another older Inu and will challenge them. But the older the youkai, generally, the stronger they are."

In fact, the only times she had seen a younger Inu defeat an older Inu was when Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had first fought over the Tessaiga in their father's tomb all those centuries ago and again when he had unleashed the Wind Scar against Sesshomaru for the first time.

She knew that a challenge would come from Ranma and Inuyasha knew it too.

They just had to be prepared for when it happened.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Ranma groaned as he felt himself being pulled back to consciousness. He didn't want to open his eyes. Opening his eyes would mean that he would have to move and the soft warm cocoon he was in didn't make that enticing in the slightest.

He snuggled down into the warmth, yearning to sink back down into the oblivion he had been in before he startled completely awake at the sound of a chuckle from right next to him.

His eyes flew open and he was met with Inuyasha's chest. He was pinned closely to the hanyou, the other's grip on him exceedingly strong, causing his muscles to tense in anticipation.

"Easy," Inuyasha's voice was calm and soft but also held a note of warning and he stilled, his scent washing over him as he inhaled quickly through his nose. For some reason, the scent of the hanyou seemed to calm him but for the life of him, he couldn't place why.

 _Family._

 _Protector._

 _Safe._

It was as though there was another presence in his mind, urging him to trust in the strength of the male that held him tightly. It was niggling at him, telling him that where he was, he was safe. Ranma wasn't sure where this knowledge was coming from but it was pulling him from the inside, urging him to trust it.

He looked up, seeing the amber eyes of the hanyou he had come to know so well watching him closely, watching over him and he felt safe.

He stiffened as he heard movement coming from outside the soft barrier he was encased in, each shuffle echoing in Ranma's mind. He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the noise but it seemed impossible.

"Easy," he heard the soft voice above him, the strong arms surrounding him shifting and he felt his fingers threading into his hair. A soft massaging began at the top of his head and he felt himself relaxing despite the noise that was going on around him. "You're okay. You're alright."

At this moment in time, he believed it.

A rumbling started in the chest pressed against his face and he couldn't help but press against it tighter, wanting the security that came from the sound.

He heard whispering coming from above him, seeing somewhat distant in the lull he had sunk into. He heard the movement again, closer this time but it didn't hurt his ears as it had before.

"His eyes are closed," there was a pause in the rumbling and Ranma couldn't stop the small whine that pushed from his throat, satisfied when it started again.

"Well, he definitely feels safe with you." Another soft, female voice sounded from above him and he grumbled at the sound. "You think he'll be alright."

"Yeah, just do it slowly." Ranma shifted as he felt the heavy cocoon he was in shift. He winced as light shone from behind his eyelids, grumbling his annoyance at the intrusion.

"See," the voice above him sounded pleased with themselves, "I told you they'd perk up."

"Is it bad that I think they're really cute?" Another, a different, another female voice joined the other two and Ranma wondered how many of them there were.

"Definitely not," the first female voice giggled, "cute ears are a must have when it comes to having your very own Inu-hanyou."

"Hn," was all he heard from the one safe-guarding him. He felt the body next to him shift, fingers still massaging. "Alright, you wanna open your eyes, kid?" Ranma really didn't want to but something in the back of his mind told him it wasn't really a request. He very slowly eased his eyes open, slamming them closed again at the light. "I know it hurts but it'll only be for a second while your eyes adjust. Come on." Once again, Ranma had the urge to obey the other male and slowly opened his eyes again, squinting at the brightness invading his eyes. "There you go. Now, there are some people that wanna see you. You gotta turn over, kid."

Ranma burrowed back down into Inuyasha, grumbling his objection to that idea and the older hanyou just chuckled. Before Ranma could process what was going on, he had been forcefully turned around so that he was now back to chest with Inuyasha. He buried his face in furs below him and Inuyasha chuckled again, along with a feminine giggle.

Intrigued by the sound, he opened his eyes again, the light not hurting so much as he did so, tilting his head back to see who else was there. He was met with two females watching him. He was struck with a sense of familiarity with the both of them, that little voice in his mind stating that they were not a threat.

He ducked back a little as the older female with long black hair and calm brown eyes slowly lifted her hand to his face, resting it on the furs in front of his nose. He tentatively sniffed her hand, catching her scent, absorbing it into his mind, his eyes glued to her face all the while.

 _Kagome._

 _Family._

She smiled down at him, seeming pleased by his reaction, gently placing her hand on his head, running her fingers through his hair, whispering gently.

"Just like last night with Inuyasha," she turned to the other female who looked down at him, her large brown eyes watching him intently. He couldn't help but return the gaze, knowing those eyes. She too rested her hand in the furs just in front of his nose and as before, he sniffed her hand.

 _Akane._

 _Safe._

Much in the same way he had known that Kagome was his family, his mind attributed Akane as being safe. His memories of her flooded back and while they were not all good, they provided some stability and he welcomed that. He wasn't feeling particularly steady right now and he knew Akane would be there to help him.

"So, does he take after his ojii-san?" Kagome asked with a giggle and Inuyasha just gave a small 'keh' in response. Akane couldn't help but smile at the two of them as she watched their interactions. "I'm sure he'll love a good ear rub."

"Seemed to calm him down," Inuyasha rested his head back down on the furs, making sure his hold on Ranma was still secure. The boy, while more coherent than when he first woke up, was still very much instinctive. There was no way to tell if he would suddenly bolt. He didn't think that he'd hurt the two of them but with youkai it was better safe than sorry. "I think Akane should be the one to give it a try."

She tore her gaze away from Ranma's own, now glittering amber eyes, seeing the older and wiser amber orbs of Inuyasha watching her. "Huh?"

"Try giving him an ear rub," Kagome suggested quietly and Akane looked back to where Ranma was watching her, his eyes wide. His ears were perked up as Kagome had said they would and seemed focused on her. She smiled as she saw them twitch every so often, much like Inuyasha's did, subconsciously reacting to the different sounds that were happening around him. She felt a little apprehensive about touching them though. "Look, think of it as a way to build trust. Inuyasha doesn't let just anyone touch his ears," _that_ earned a snort from the hanyou in question, which Kagome ignored, "mainly because, they're really the only vulnerable spot he has."

"Really?"

"They're really sensitive," Kagome gently ran a finger over the edge of the silver appendage on top of Inuyasha's head, causing it to twitch insanely while the hanyou grumbled, unable to move away from her touch, other than to flatten the offended ear into his hair. "See? The fur is really fine, making it so sensitive. And while they may heal quickly, any damage to them bleeds a lot and is really painful." She looked back down to Ranma, who hadn't taken his eyes off of Akane, watching her intently. "A gentle rub should let you build on the bond you already had with Ranma when he was human by letting him know, through touch, that you're not going to hurt him."

Akane could see what Kagome meant as the other woman leaned over, trying to placate her grumbling hanyou. She turned to look at Ranma again, slowly leaning forward as she had when he had allowed him to scent her hand. His eyes followed her hand the entire time, ducking away slightly as she moved it slightly behind his head. She gave him a soft smile which caught his attention, distracting him from her hand. She gently placed her hand on the back of his head, her thumb just brushing the base of his ear.

He stiffened immediately and as Kagome had shown her with Inuyasha the night before, she gently started to rub her thumb along the base of his ear, feeling the join where the new appendage met the rest of his head. She could feel it twitching with each movement and she was aware that he was still tense. She pressed a little harder, her thumb moving in wider strokes and she felt him start to relax a little. She couldn't help but smile at the thought that she might be helping him a little.

She shifted her hand a tiny bit as though she was cradling his head and in so doing, shifted the position of her thumb. The effect was instantaneous as he started to push against her hand, a rumble sounding from his chest. She jumped a little, looking up at Kagome, seeing a wide smile on the older woman's face.

"You got the spot." She laughed and Akane felt her brow furrow slightly. "He's pushing into your hand, right?" Akane nodded and Kagome's grin widened. "Inuyasha and our children do the same thing. They each have a spot on either ear that they love. Once you get it, that's it, you're stuck. Never know, keep at it long enough and his leg might start to shake." Akane looked up at her, surprised. "He's already purring."

Akane looked down at Ranma who had completely relaxed with a content expression on his face. Kagome was right. There was a very distinct rumble coming from him and Akane couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face at the sound.

"He's drifting off again," Inuyasha murmured and Akane looked to him, startled. "Don't worry. It's probably for the best. He's just undergone a huge change and the fact that he's not freaking our right now means he's going to be okay. His body needs to adjust to the changes and in a way, the best thing for everything to settle, is sleep."

Akane nodded, her eyes drifting down to the newly released hanyou. She was going to miss his deep blue eyes but there was something about the amber eyes that had stared up at her that made him seem other worldly.

She just hoped she had a place in it.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Once again, Ranma woke up, groaning a little as he opened his eyes. He lifted his head, feeling a little foggy but much more with it than he had the last time he had woken up. He hadn't meant to fall asleep but something had caused him to drift off.

He looked around seeing that it must be dark outside. He was amazed to note that he could still see perfectly well. He could make out the individual planks of wood that made up the floor and walls of the shrine. He could see Kagome and Akane as they slept on the other side of the shrine. Everything was illuminated by the soft pink barrier that was still erect around the shrine. He reasoned that Kagome must have dropped it at certain points for her and Akane to get out and freshen up, probably ensuring that he was asleep beforehand.

He froze as Inuyasha moved behind him, his head shaking indicating that he was awake.

"You're alright, kid." He mumbled and Ranma tried to turn his head to see the hanyou. Before he could register it, he had been flipped over once again before being pulled into Inuyasha's chest. While he was much more clear headed than he had been, Inuyasha's scent calmed him, reassuring him deep inside that he was safe. "How're you feeling?"

"Better," his throat was dry, his voice hoarse and Inuyasha unwrapped one of his arms from the boy, reaching up and grabbing the bottle of water Kagome had left here, complete with straw.

"Don't gulp it down." He warned and Ranma had to force himself not to do just that. The water felt so good on his throat and he grumbled as Inuyasha pulled the bottle away, settling it back where it had been. "Hey, enough of that." Ranma ducked down, unsure of where the noise came from. "Don't worry, kid, you'll get the hang of it. Your vocal chords have a much bigger range now. Essentially they've expanded to allow you to communicate with other Inu's." Ranma nodded, the words sinking in. "Probably why your throat's so sore right now."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the first time you woke up, you were sure as hell growling and putting up a fuss." Inuyasha chuckled and Ranma felt his cheeks warm as he ducked his head down. "Nothing to be embarrassed about, kid. It's natural." Well, that made him feel a little better. "You doing okay?"

"A little foggy," Ranma admitted, seeing no reason to lie, "everything seems . . . weird."

"Weird how?" He looked up at Inuyasha who was watching him intently. "Explain it to me."

"I don't know," he sighed, resting his head against the hanyou again, the same feeling of safety enveloping him. "It's like . . . everything's just . . . _more._ I can see better, I can smell better, I can hear _everything_."

"Well your new ears will be the reason for that," Inuyasha chuckled and Ranma felt his brow crease.

"What do you mean?" Instead of answering, Inuyasha ducked his head forward, wrapping his lips around the tip of one of Ranma's new ears, tugging gently. Ranma sucked in a breath as he tried to move away, earning a chuckle from Inuyasha. Moving one of his hands away from where they were tucked between the two of them, he slowly felt along the side of his head where his ears had been before, feeling nothing but smooth skin. He reached up into his hair line, sucking in another breath as he came across what he instantly knew was a god ear on the top of his own head. "Dog ears?"

Inuyasha released the captured appendage, grinning down at Ranma. "Yup. Don't worry, according to Kagome and Akane, they're just _so cute_."

Ranma shot him a look, still investigating the new addition to his body. "What do they look like?"

"They look like mine, kid," Inuyasha flicked his own ears, "but they're black with silver at the tip."

"They feel weird." He released the ear, settling his head back down on the furs, noticing the claws on his hands for the first time. He examined them, the fact that they were on the ends of _his_ fingers not really computing to his already overwhelmed brain. "What else looks different?" He wondered if he really wanted the answer to that.

"Well, you've got fangs now." Ranma immediately ran his tongue over his teeth, wincing as his tongue brushed the elongated canines. "And other than the ears, your eyes are probably the most noticeable thing. They're not blue anymore."

"Amber?" Inuyasha nodded and Ranma blinked, wishing he had a mirror.

"And there's also two nice big streaks of silver running through your hair now," Ranma blinked, reaching behind him and grabbing his pigtail, pulling it over his shoulder and sure enough, intertwined in the black there were now streaks of silver that had been split where it had been twisted together. "Hey, you'll get used to it all. And remember, you'll have to wear a concealment spell most of the time." Ranma nodded, thinking about that. "Don't worry. You're not alone."

No, he wasn't. And Ranma was grateful for that.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Inuyasha woke one again to see glimmers of light shining through the tiny gaps in the joins of the shrine doors. He reasoned that it had to be early in the morning from the direction they were coming from.

He started slightly, that the barrier was down, the pink shimmer not surrounding the shrine anymore. What's more, there were raised voices coming from outside. He looked down at Ranma, seeing that he had stirred awake with Inuyasha's movements.

"Morning, kid," Ranma blinked at him, the faint light still bothering him slightly as he woke up. He heard Kagome's voice outside, along with another voice he could have done without hearing. He grumbled to himself, easing away from Ranma slightly. "You gonna be okay, kid? I've got something I need to sort out." Ranma nodded and Inuyasha noticed Akane sitting on the futon that she had inhabited while they had been ensconced in the shrine. While Kagome had allowed her out to wash and change, he knew that she had to have been really bored over the last day or so. Mostly he and Ranma had slept, Ranma adjusting to the changes happening inside of him and Inuyasha allowing himself the rest knowing he would need his strength to combat the new hanyou. "Akane?" She looked over towards him, blinking blearily as though she had not been awake long. "What happened?"

"I don't know," she looked outside where the voices were coming from. He could feel Ranma tensing at the noise, reacting to the tones from outside. "I woke up as Kagome dropped the barrier and stormed outside."

He looked down at Ranma again, seeing that he was now wide awake, his head leaned back to look at the door, his ears flattened into his hair. "Come here, Akane." She looked to the door again before standing and walking over to the fur pile, stretching as she did so. "I need to try and sort out what's going on out there. Can you look after him for me while I do?" She looked down at Ranma who was watching her with the same intensity he had been when he had woken the second time. She nodded and Inuyasha sat up, bringing Ranma with him. He unwrapped his arms before bringing the furs around the teen and standing up, stretching out, letting out a sigh of relief as his joints cracked, settling after two days of no use.

He nodded for Akane to sit where he had just been by Ranma and she knelt down slowly, golden eyes following her as she moved. The two of them watched as Inuyasha made his way towards the door of the shrine, both of them squinting slightly as he opened the door, the sunlight bursting through before being cut off as the door closed again.

"How're you feeling?" Akane asked, Ranma turning to look at her.

"A little weird." He admitted truthfully and she gave him a small smile. "Apparently I look different."

"Mm-hm," she nodded, her eyes flicking to the ears he now knew were on the top of his head. "You do. But I like it."

"Really?" He sounded doubtful and she grinned at him, nodding. "Even . . . you know?"

"The ears?" He nodded and she giggled, watching them flick and twitch at the noise. "Silly," she reached up and his ears flattened until she gently ran a finger over the outside of his right ear. "I think they're the best part."

"Yeah, Inuyasha said how you thought they were cute." He grumbled and she giggled again, tracing the outside of his ear up to the tip with her finger.

"They are," she admitted and he huffed. She moved her hand to the base, rubbing her thumb over the spot she had found the previous day. He immediately let out a rumble and began to push into her hand indicating that she had found it. "Not only that but Kagome told me how sensitive they are. She told me that Inuyasha really relies on his hearing and apparently he's never more grumpy than when he's got water in his ears. Apparently he can't hear a thing." She giggled and Ranma hummed in response. "She also said they were the best way to calm an irritated or worked up hanyou. And I can see what she meant."

Ranma cracked an eye open, seeing her smile. He flicked his ear, partially amazed that he had cognitively done that rather than the new addition moving on its own, which had been the case until then. Now that he was aware of them, he was conscious of every twitch and flick that came from the top of his head and he was certain the damn things seemed to have a life of their own.

She let go, her hand sliding down to where his human ears used to be. "You're still Ranma to me." She said softly and he gave her a smile, thankful she was here.

The two of them turned to the door, hearing an unfamiliar voice rising in volume. Whoever it was, wanted in the shrine and was not taking no for an answer. The two teens looked at each other, wondering if the shit wasn't about to hit the fan.

Inuyasha really wasn't in the mood for this. He had only just woken up and still had a pup to look after. While Ranma might argue, that's what he was. He wouldn't be considered an adult in the youkai world until he was well into his three hundreds. He had a long way to go.

Inuyasha let out a frustrated sigh as he walked out of the main shrine building closing the door quickly so that the sunlight wouldn't affect Ranma too much. It would also stop the fresh air from disturbing the scents that had built up of the last couple of days. His, Kagome's, Akane's and Ranma's scents had settled in the air in the shrine which would allow Ranma's increasingly sensitive nose to become acclimated to their scents. Especially Akane's. While he would instinctively know Kagome and himself as family, Akane was not. The more Ranma was exposed to her scent, the easier things would be for him.

Not that they would be leaving the shrine for a little while. Ranma needed to get used to all of the changes that were happening and they also had to wait for Totosai to return.

Inuyasha shook his head at the thought of the old loon.

Brilliant he may be but the old codger needed to be committed, he was sure.

He walked across the courtyard, his weathered feet not noticing any pebbles or loose stones littering the ancient slabs. He could see Kagome standing there, her posture stiff and her hands clenched.

And he growled to himself at the reason for it.

"Hey, mutt! You wanna explain what's going on?" He snarled silently at the ancient insult, still irritated from having to leave Ranma to deal with this idiot.

"I'm not sure that we have to explain anything to you," he replied, wrapping an arm around Kagome, feeling the tension in her shoulders.

Kouga stood there in front of the couple, his posture stiff and ready for a fight should one come, wanting answers. Inuyasha glanced at the wolf to his side, recognising him as his son, Ichirou. Inuyasha had always wondered where Kouga's though processes came from. He had literally named his sons in the order they were born. Apparently originality wasn't something possessed by wolves.

"Look, we and probably a hell of a lot of other youkai around felt a huge blast of youki the other night." He growled, stepping towards the already irritated Inu. "And where did it come from? Right here. I think we deserve some kind of explanation as to what the hell you're up to."

"It's nothing that concerns you, Kouga." Inuyasha responded, trying to keep his voice calm. He was conscious that Ranma's new ears would be able to pick up exactly what was going on outside and he didn't want to raise his voice and startle the kid. It was like dealing with a pup. And he knew from raising his own that they didn't like sudden movements or sounds and they absolutely hated the sound of raised voices. "If and when we feel it does, you will be informed but not before then."

Kagome stared at the wolf that, while she considered him a friend, coming to the shrine and behaving this way was not something she took lightly. She was proud of Inuyasha in that moment. As tired as he had to have been from dealing with Ranma and making sure that he was settled and calm, she would have expected him to explode. After half a millennium of knowing each other, the dog and the wolf knew exactly what buttons to push to get an explosion.

"Kouga, please go," she said softly, avoiding glancing over her shoulder at the shrine. To do so would tip him off even more that something was going on. She didn't want to risk him trying to get in there and disturbing Ranma. As instinctive and confused as he was at the moment, they had no idea how the teen would react.

Well, actually she had an idea.

But it wasn't pretty.

Adaptation was going to be hard enough for him as it was, she wouldn't allow him to be put under that kind of stress.

The wolf was going to argue, press his point about what was going on and what they were hiding in the shrine. He knew they didn't want him to go into the main building but he couldn't understand why. There was only a light breeze which was blowing in the wrong direction for him to pick up any scents. Although he could smell another Inu on the mutt in front of him, the scent wasn't known to him. He could see Inuyasha's posture was stiff and he had no doubt that the hanyou would fight to protect whatever was in the building behind him.

He would let it go.

For now.

"Alright," he relented and the couple in front of him nodded. "But I want an explanation."

"When the time is right, wolf," Inuyasha responded, his tone brooking no argument. "And not a moment before."

Kouga stepped backwards, his son following him. He knew he wouldn't get any further with the two of them. He had thought that it was hard getting to them when he had first met them, when Kagome had control of the mutt with those beads but trying to persuade them after she had come back through the well and they had been mated. That was practically impossible.

He still liked to wind up the mutt, though. Even after five hundred years, seeing the hanyou flip his lid was entertaining.

But there as something about the way he was that Kouga couldn't put his finger on as he and Ichirou descended the many steps towards the street below the shrine. He was defensive but not in the usual way. Normally, they would throw insults at each other and then it would turn physical. He would never admit it out loud but the mutt was strong. He always had been. He remembered when he had first met Inuyasha, how he had wiped out the Birds of Paradise with one swing of the Tessaiga. He'd never admitted it but he had been impressed.

But today, there had been none of that. Inuyasha had been calm and collected, his voice remaining low and steady. As though he didn't want to disturb the peace of the early morning. Something Kouga had absolutely no problems with.

If he was being honest, the mutt had reminded him exactly of Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha sighed as the two wolves walked down the steps away from the shrine, knowing that this wasn't going to be the last time they investigated. The majority of the youkai in the Tokyo area ignored anything coming from the Higurashi shrine, knowing that they would have it in hand but without fail either Kouga, Ayame or another one of the wolf tribe would turn up at any little thing.

"I guess the barrier wasn't thick enough." Kagome said softly and he nodded. While one of the purposes of the barrier was to try and stem the flow of youki being released, they had been more concerned with physical demons getting _into_ the shrine and also, Ranma getting _out._

They quickly made their way back to the main building, smiling as they heard Akane giggling from inside. They looked at each other, pleased before Inuyasha opened the door and they stepped into the room. He quickly closed the door, grinning as he saw the two teens right where he'd left them.

He couldn't help but chuckle at the look of concentration on Ranma's face as Akane giggled, watching him. It didn't take long for him to figure out what was going on. The boy was trying to figure out how to control his ears.

The two of them walked over to the teens, Kagome not hesitating at all before climbing on to the furs. Ranma was aware and cognitive now, not completely overwhelmed by his instincts as he had been before, so the purity of Inuyasha's scent on the furs wasn't paramount. They would probably continue to have Ranma sleep wrapped in there for another day or two but that was mostly for his senses to settle and for him to become more aware of his new abilities as a hanyou.

"Don't worry, kid," Inuyasha grinned as the teens ear flicked at him. "It'll come." He reached down, giving the soft furred appendage a light rub.

Inuyasha couldn't lie, seeing Ranma's ears, he immediately thought of Honoka. Hers had been exactly the same. Of their four pups, the eldest two, Izumi and Kazuhiko, their first born son, were almost exact copies of their father. They both had his silver hair, bright amber eyes and of course, they had inherited his dog ears. Their second son, Masaru had a mix of silver and black hair, his eyes the same amber as his father and older siblings but his ears silver with a large black patch covering a large chunk of his left ear. Honoka, however had taken after her mother almost entirely in her looks. Other than the amber eyes it seemed would be dominant within their gene pool and the dog ears nestled on top of her head, she was the copy of her mother. Instead of the bright silver of her siblings her hair and been pitch black. Her ears had been the same, save for the spot of silver on each tip.

The exact same ears that Ranma now sported.

He shook his head, coming back to the present to find Kagome smiling up at him. "Back with us?" She asked softly, not bothering to hide the amusement in her tone.

He sighed, shaking his head again. He looked down at Ranma, surprised to see that he still had the teen's ear in between his fingers, the pads of his fingers and thumb, gently rubbing either side of the soft appendage. "Just remembering," he said softly, gazing down at Ranma as Kagome did the same, a wistful smile on her face, watching Ranma's slightly spaced out look as Inuyasha continued his ministrations.

Oh yeah, Ranma was his alright.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Shampoo was fuming as she stormed her way back to the Nekohanten, slamming the door behind her as she entered the property. Cologne turned to look at her, watching as the girl with a face like thunder stomped past. For once she was glad that Mousse wasn't around as there was no doubt he could have gotten himself killed.

Shampoo couldn't believe what she had been told. She had gone to the Tendo's wanting to see Ranma, still smarting over how Akane had spoken to her when she was there last. She was still somewhat surprised over Ranma's attitude when he had seen her standing there. Granted she had been standing next to the crazy chef at the time but that was beside the point.

He had been distant and cold, not her Airen at all.

She knew nasty pervert-girl had something to do with it.

And now she had been told that her Airen and pervert-girl had gone on a training trip. Alone!

Shampoo was furious.

She reasoned that nasty tomboy had to have tricked her Airen into it. Maybe she was holding something over his head. Something that could hurt him. She couldn't let it stand. She had to gin out where they'd gone and make sure pervert-girl didn't hurt her Airen. Unfortunately, the Tendo's hadn't know where they were. Or they had been lying to her, which was entirely possible.

So she would have to find them on her own.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.**_

 ** _Sorry this has taken a little while but unfortunately life got in the way a little bit. This chapter has been rewritten a couple of times and I'm still not completely happy with it so let me know what you think._**

Over the next week or so, Inuyasha worked closely with Ranma, getting him used to the new strength his body possessed. He had enlisted Akane's help due to her martial arts training which had proved useful. She knew how Ranma had moved and trained as a human and she would be able to see exactly how his movements and strength had changed. It also didn't hurt that she was able to get some training in. The new, Inu-hanyou Ranma didn't seem to have the same hold-ups about fighting against a girl that he had when he was human, despite his increased strength and speed.

Kagome had been aiding them with her spiritual powers, allowing Ranma to see how he faired against light barriers and the like. She wondered if, like Inuyasha, he was motivated enough, would he be able to force his way through a barrier. She immediately remembered their confrontation with Tsubaki and how he had only been slowed down for a few moments while forcing his way through the barrier leading to the shrine she was hiding in.

Though there had been a few bumps to begin with – such as when Ranma had overshot a landing and nearly rolled down the steps leading to the shrine – he had begun to understand his new strength quickly. Akane had mentioned to Kagome that he always had an affinity to pick things up extremely quickly, which was one of the reasons he was such a formidable martial artist.

Inuyasha had been holding back though. He didn't want to put too much strain on Ranma's youkai blood. Like he had been before he had been able to get more of a handle on his youkai side, Ranma wasn't in control of his blood. He didn't want to risk the youkai being released, especially not so soon. He had been disturbed when he had lost control and his youkai had pushed to the surface and he had been hanyou from birth. He didn't want to find out how Ranma would react to such a loss of control. Inuyasha remembered the helpless feeling he'd had when he had come back from his transformation. The knowledge that he had killed humans, trying to wash the blood off of his claws, seeing it there long after the water of the river had washed it away had haunted him.

He wouldn't put Ranma through that.

He wouldn't be able to challenge Ranma properly until Totosai had returned. Ranma had caught on that Inuyasha was holding back and hadn't been happy about it. Inuyasha explained that once Totosai had come back he would explain everything to the teenager. He had huffed but after some griping and a dominant growl from Inuyasha he had left it alone.

And annoyingly for Ranma and Inuyasha, Totosai was supposed to return two days ago.

Kagome had laughed at the irritation both males had shown, reasoning with Inuyasha that he should know what Totosai was like. He had been dealing with him for long enough. She had explained to Ranma that Totosai worked to his own schedule, whatever that may be and turned up when he was ready. He didn't always remember the timeframes he had set so was often late. It was his skill as a swordsmith that caused youkai to keep coming back to him. It sure as hell wasn't anything else.

Kagome and Akane had spent a lot of time talking and bonding while the two Inu's trained. While there had been trepidation to begin with, Kagome had found that, despite the temper Ranma said she had, the girl was actually very sweet and cared about Ranma a great deal.

"Akane," she nodded for the girl to follow her into the kitchen where she sat at the small table they had in there. She gave her a small smile to try and get the worried look off the girl's face.

"Is everything okay?" Akane asked as she lowered herself into the seat across from Kagome.

"There's something I need to ask you," she started, hoping the girl wouldn't get the wrong idea about what she was asking. "What are your feelings towards Ranma?"

"What?" Akane blinked, utterly confused at the woman's question. Was she trying to figure out her feelings so she could determine whether she was good enough for Ranma? Or was it because she thought she _wasn't_ good enough.

"This is really important, Akane," Kagome sighed, looking out of the window that looked out onto the shrine. "Ranma's a hanyou now. An _Inu_ -hanyou." Akane nodded, wondering what she meant. "Inu mate for life, Akane. And as you've seen, they have _long_ lives."

Akane blinked, understanding what Kagome was talking about. She needed Akane to figure out what she wanted from Ranma and if she actually wanted to be with him. She couldn't deny that through the time they had spent together, before and after Ranma's change, she had felt an attraction to the other martial artist. She had tried to brush it off but whenever she looked at him, she couldn't deny the way her stomach felt like it was filled with butterflies.

"How did you know?" She whispered, following Kagome's gaze out of the window.

"Hmm?" The older woman turned to look at Akane, who in many ways reminded her as herself at that age. She was headstrong and fiery, stubborn but at heart, she was a sweet and kind girl. For a reason unknown to Kagome, she hid it from the world. And she hid it well.

"How did you know that Inuyasha was the one you wanted to be with?" Akane turned to look at Kagome, watching as the older woman's expression softened, her dark eyes shining with memories.

"Don't get me wrong, when we first met, Inuyasha and I couldn't stand each other." Akane blinked, not expecting _that_. She had a hard time wrapping her head around the thought that Inuyasha and Kagome didn't get along. She could practically feel the love coming off of the two of them, it was so strong. Kagome giggled upon seeing Akane's expression. "Oh yeah, after I released him from the tree, Inuyasha tried to take my head off."

Akane's jaw dropped. She had not heard _that_ part of the story. She had been told about how Kagome had fallen down the creepy well that was on the grounds of the shrine and that when she had first seen Inuyasha he had been pinned to the Goshinboku that also resided on the grounds of the shrine. They had told her about how she had released the trapped hanyou – having woken by that point – and how he had destroyed the youkai that had tried to kill Kagome for the Shikon Jewel she didn't know she had but they hadn't mentioned that he, in turn had tried to kill her.

"There's a whole other story behind that one, which we won't go into now but Inuyasha and I really didn't like each other when we first met," Akane swallowed, looking back out the window to the shrine. "Much like you and Ranma, am I right?"

Akane blinked and Kagome smiled at the girl. The two of them had spoken at length and she had confided in how she and Ranma had gotten off on the wrong foot when she had found him in the bathroom. Well, once Kagome had stopped laughing that is. Once that initial foundation had been laid, neither of them had really given the other room to break through the boundaries that had been set.

Kagome reasoned that the name calling that went on between the two of them – Ranma calling Akane un-cute and Akane throwing the word pervert at Ranma in return – had been a defence the two of them had easily fallen into. Akane hadn't thought about it like that before. She knew that Ranma wasn't a pervert. In fact, he was probably the most honourable person she knew.

But for some reason the insult just easily fell from her lips.

"It's okay," Kagome smiled at Akane as the girl turned to look at her again. "It took Inuyasha and I a long time to get to like each other. While we were thrown together in this situation that neither of us wanted to be in, we didn't have a choice. He was rude, he was crude and honestly, he acted like a child but then again, so did I. Because that's what we were."

Akane blinked, a little confused. She quickly did the math in her head, knowing that Inuyasha and Kagome had met five hundred years ago but that Inuyasha was over seven hundred years old. Which meant that Inuyasha had to have been at least two hundred when they met. He couldn't have been a child. "Wait. I'm a little confused." Kagome tilted her head in a move that was reminiscent of Inuyasha when he was curious about something. "How could Inuyasha be a child when-"

"When he was over two hundred years old when we met?" Kagome finished and Akane nodded. "Well, in Inu-youkai terms, he was still a pup. Inu's aren't considered adults until they're at least three hundred or so. Being two fifty at the most, Inuyasha was still very much a pup, maybe considered an adolescent."

"But why so old?" Akane wondered and Kagome smiled at her again.

"Inu's age slower than other youkai do. No one really knows why but when an Inu is, say in their thirties, while to humans, they're clearly adults, to an Inu they're only just out of infancy."

"Wow," Akane breathed and Kagome nodded, seeing that the information that had been flung at the girl over the last week or so was starting to overwhelm her. "So you really didn't get along?"

Kagome shook her head. "It took three, almost four whole days before Inuyasha even said my name. Before then it was 'you' or 'wench' was his favourite one. He still uses that from time to time but if only to annoy me. It took a long time for Inuyasha to really open up to me. The only people he'd opened up to before were his mother and another priestess. His mother had died when he was very young, leaving him alone and the other priestess was the one who sealed him to the Goshinboku."

"Trust issues, then?" Akane could kind of relate in a way. Not to _that_ extent obviously but once she had started at Furinkan, her trust in people had gone down. While yes, it was mostly the boys she disliked at the school, some of the girls had been nasty once Kuno had made his little speech. Apart from Yuka and Sayuri, she didn't really have any friends. Akane was often distrustful of her own sister, never trusting that Nabiki wasn't looking to get some kind of profit out of whatever mess was happening at the time.

"Most definitely and once I learned more and more about his past, I could understand why he was unwilling to let people in." Kagome sighed gently, remembering Inuyasha's words once they had left Jinenji's village. She remembered the soft tone of his voice when he said that he didn't have a place amongst humans or youkai. She smiled at the memory, remembering it as the first time Inuyasha had truly let her in, whether he realised it or not. Of course after that, he had gone back to being the gruff hanyou she knew but that small insight had been enough for her at the time. "It took us a while to get closer and there were a lot of things that I won't go into now that helped us along the way but it happened. We've been together through everything for the last five hundred years. And there isn't anyone I would rather have shared that time with."

Akane sat silently, thinking about the woman's words. Though she looked to be in her early twenties, and her ID stated that she was twenty-four, she was much older and wiser than anyone else would know. Akane understood now why she was asking her the things she was.

Could Akane handle being with Ranma for as long as Kagome had been with Inuyasha?

"I . . ." Akane bit her lip, looking down at the table.

"It's a lot to think about, I know." Kagome reached over the table, grasping Akane's hand in her own. "But Akane, it's something you _need_ to think about. Inu-youkai are an extremely territorial and possessive breed. If Ranma has claimed you as his, even in his own mind, you need to be careful around other males. He'll be extremely protective of you and he won't want any other males around you."

"Is Inuyasha the same?"

"Not so much now because we've been together so long but even so, if we're out buying groceries and a male cashier lingers too long in handing back my change, or even something else as simple, his hackles start to go up. Sesshomaru is the same with Rin." Akane nodded. She hadn't yet met Inuyasha's brother as he had been back at the Western fortress, or so she'd been told by Inuyasha, she had heard the two of them talk about him.

And she thought there was sibling rivalry in _her_ house.

"But you should have seen Inuyasha even _before_ we were mated." Kagome giggled as some amusing memories came to the front of her mind. "But in all seriousness, you need to make a decision when it comes to Ranma. I don't mean to scare you, Akane. I know your father's are pushing the two of you to get married but if you do and your heart's not in it, it could end badly. For the both of you."

Akane swallowed, her gaze flitting back out the window where she could see Inuyasha and Ranma had taken a break from the sparring they had been involved in and were now lounging in the summer sun. While she loved the hanyou ears and the colour of his eyes were incredible, she had missed the deep blue eyes he had had as a human and hoped they would return when the item holding the concealment spell arrived.

Inuyasha was wearing his, being out in the open as he was, his silver hair a giveaway that something wasn't quite right. Although with the different hair colours people sported these days, it probably wouldn't garner that much attention. Ranma's black hair didn't stand out and it was only when you saw him from the side or the back that the silver streaks became apparent. He had learned to flatten his ears into his hair so they couldn't be seen. He had complained when Inuyasha had had him practise doing it, stating that it was uncomfortable. The elder hanyou hadn't had any sympathy and told him to keep practising.

Akane jumped as something brushed past her foot. She looked down to see what was quite possibly the fattest cat she had ever seen peering up at her. It let out a yowl before trying to clamber up onto her lap. She reached down to pick it up, realising that it wasn't just fluff making the cat so big.

"Buyo!" Kagome scolded the cat lightly, shaking her head, being thoroughly ignored by the animal as he settled himself in Akane's lap. "Sorry about him."

"Not seen him before," Akane smiled before freezing, her gaze immediately snapping out of the window to ensure Ranma was still outside. His response to cats was intense and she had no idea how he would react now that he was hanyou.

"Well, he's used to Inuyasha and his scent but there's been another Inu-hanyou around for the last week." Kagome leaned over and rubbed the feline's ears. "He's probably been hiding in my mom's room." She looked up at the girl, seeing her worried expression as she kept her gaze out of the window. She followed Akane's gaze, seeing her locked on to the two lounging hanyou. "What's the matter?"

Akane looked back to Kagome, wetting her lips. They hadn't told Inuyasha and Kagome about the Neko-ken. Not through trying to hide it but purely because they hadn't thought about it.

"Ranma has an extreme fear of cats," Kagome blinked, most definitely _not_ expecting that answer.

"Please explain."

"Well, when Ranma was six his father put him through the Neko-ken training." Kagome tensed, her eyes turning cold. She had heard of the Neko-ken but it had been created by and for youkai. It had not been created to be taught to humans. And Genma had taught it to Ranma! "But it didn't work the way he had thought it would. All it really did was to give Ranma Ailurophobia. He can't even _see_ a cat without freaking out." If Kagome had been Inuyasha she would have been cursing up a storm and quite possibly punching holes in the walls. "It's so bad that when Ranma's fear of cats goes beyond a certain point, he actually starts to _behave_ like a cat."

Kagome sighed, dropping her head to her hand, gripping her hair tightly.

She couldn't keep this from Inuyasha. He was going to go ballistic and would most likely want to head straight over to the Tendo dojo and introduce Genma Saotome to the business end of Tessaiga. She couldn't let that happen.

"Maybe the fact that he's now Inu-hanyou will counteract the Neko-ken," Akane suggested hopefully and Kagome nodded, hoping so. The fact that Ranma was now half dog youkai may help to combat the effects of the Neko-ken training he had been through but there was a large part of her that didn't want to find out.

"We'll need to keep Buyo out of his sight until we know for sure." Kagome sighed, moving to grab the cat from Akane. He grumbled and tried to keep himself attached to the young girl with his claws but eventually lost to the miko. She took him out of the room, depositing him in her mother's bedroom for the moment.

It wasn't long before the two males entered the house, chuckling about something. Kagome had quickly made some dinner after her chat with Akane, allowing Akane to help her by chopping the vegetables. Both of them were quiet, trapped in their own minds as they worked. Akane's mind was running over what Kagome had told her. She had to really think about what she wanted. Did she want to be with Ranma? Could she imagine spending the next five hundred years with Ranma as Kagome had with Inuyasha?

When she looked at the two of them, she saw the love they shared. But by Kagome's own words, they hadn't gotten along when they had first met. Hell, she had told Akane that moments after saving her life, he had tried to kill her! Ranma sure hadn't done that! Sure he annoyed her at times, what with how he had called her uncute and called her a tomboy. She always gave as good as she got. In a way, she enjoyed their banter, the way they traded insults. It was a comfortable exchange. It was when things moved out of her comfort zone that she became uncomfortable, that she tended to push him away and become angry because it was easier than accepting something she may not be ready for.

She really did need to think.

Like Akane, Kagome was locked in her mind, going through the motions of making dinner for the four of them. Her mother, Souta and Grandfather had gone to Kyoto to visit family while Ranma made the transition from human to hanyou. Having seen how volatile Inuyasha could become when he was stressed, they had decided to give the four of them some space. Kagome would call them once Ranma and Akane had gone back to the dojo. She didn't think it was the right thing for Ranma to go back but he had insisted. He knew that if they didn't return before the end of the summer, questions would be asked. Awkward questions that they couldn't really answer.

They had another two weeks before they had to send them back.

But before then, Kagome had to figure out a way to tell Inuyasha what Akane had told her about the Neko-ken. They hadn't heard of it being taught to humans in at least a hundred and fifty years. Most of the humans that had undergone the training didn't last long. She reasoned that it must have been due to the fact that Ranma was a child and so easily adaptable. Saying that Inuyasha would be pissed would be an incredible understatement. She would have to wait until Ranma was settled for the night. They still had him sleeping the shrine. Yes, they were losing money but even her grandfather would understand that keeping Inuyasha's scent as untouched as possible was more important at the moment. Until Totosai came with what it was he was creating for Ranma, they couldn't risk his youkai becoming agitated and overtaking him. Once Totosai showed up – whenever _that_ would be – having Ranma's youkai blood under control, they would be able to re-accustom Ranma to being and sleeping around others again.

Until then, he would be firmly wrapped in the furs in the shrine. Inuyasha made sure to keep them drenched in his scent and Kagome would set a barrier every night.

Once she knew that Ranma was safely in slumber, she would have to tell Inuyasha what Akane had told her. He would find out sooner or later and it wasn't in her nature to keep anything from her mate.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Kagome had been right when she had predicted that Inuyasha would explode. While Ranma hadn't been disturbed, Akane had woken up at his cursing. She had been sleeping in Souta's room for the last two days, under much protest from the girl herself. Before then, she had been staying with Ranma on a futon in the shrine, just outside the barrier Kagome had erected. They had only allowed it that way because of the unpredictability of Ranma's youkai and the possible danger to her.

Although it had been Inuyasha she had been afraid of when he had come down the next morning. Apparently Kagome had erected a barrier around the irate hanyou to stop him from interrogating the young girl on the spot.

He was not a happy Inu.

She had told him all she knew before Ranma had come in, watching him being subjected to the same questioning. Of course, Ranma had been able to tell them more than she had but both had conveniently left out the fact that their first kiss – not that either of them counted it as Ranma didn't remember – had been when he was in the Neko-ken. Ranma's description of the 'training' his father had put him through for the Neko-ken had not helped Inuyasha's ire and Kagome had had to give him a spiritual zap to calm him down.

The three of them had to admit that they felt a little sorry for Genma Saotome when Inuyasha next met up with him.

Once he had managed to get his temper in check, the four of them had been able to enjoy the breakfast that Kagome had made in a comfortable silence. Kagome covertly watched Ranma out of the corner of her eye, seeing the grace of his movements which now matched Inuyasha's. While his speed and strength had been far superior to that of a regular human being, thanks to his martial arts training, they were on a completely different level now.

She wondered how Akane would cope with the extra energy he now had.

The four of them jumped as a loud crash and a sharp flash of youkai came from the courtyard, glancing at each other before they all abandoned the meal and headed outside. Inuyasha stood in front of the others, claws at the ready. He ensured that Ranma was behind him, protecting the pup that was in his care.

They were greeted with a cloud of smoke which had both hanyou's snorting to clear the smell out of their highly sensitive noses and Ranma couldn't hold back a sneeze at the intrusive substance. Inuyasha relaxed as it cleared before feeling his anger rising once again.

Standing in the middle of the courtyard, astride the same three-eyed bovine he had been riding for centuries, was Totosai.

Three days late!

"What the hell time do you call this, ya old loon?" Inuyasha shot towards the bulbous eyed man who looked around as if trying to pinpoint where the voice was coming from.

"I take as much time as is needed, young pup, you know this." Totosai responded, dismounting Mo-Mo and creakily making his way towards the group. He stopped in front of Inuyasha, his gaze occasionally flicking towards Ranma, taking in the boy's new features. He didn't allow his gaze to linger for too long, having immense familiarity with the possessiveness of the Inu species.

He didn't feel like being clawed today.

"So what took ya so long?" Inuyasha questioned, crossing his arms in front of him as he narrowed his eyes at the old youkai.

The old man reached into the front of the old haori he wore, pulling out two small packages. "For your pup," he stated simply, handing the packages to Inuyasha. Ranma bristled slightly at being referred to as a pup but he also knew that he would be considered one for a long time to come. Inuyasha had also confided that he'd hated being referred to as a pup, especially when he was over two hundred years old.

Inuyasha unwrapped the larger of the two packages he had been given by the old swordsmith, revealing a thin metalled bracelet about an inch wide. "To control his youkai," Totosai advised and Inuyasha nodded, handing the smaller package to Kagome before turning to face Ranma.

The younger hanyou watched him warily, his ears flattening against his head. He tensed as Inuyasha removed the arm band he wore, tucking it under his own arm and fixing the bracelet around his wrist, clasping it closed.

"This does _not_ come off, got it?" Ranma nodded, seeing the seriousness in Inuyasha's expression and hearing it in his voice. The bracelet was snug against his skin, appearing to take the exact shape of his wrist. Must have been a youkai thing. Inuyasha handed him the armband which he slipped back over his wrist, marvelling that even though he could _feel_ the bracelet was still there against his skin, he couldn't see it.

He knew it would raise questions when people saw it but they would come to that when it came. Akane had suggested that they tell people she had bought it for him, which was an idea but could also cause problems.

In the meantime, Kagome had wrapped the smaller package Totosai had handed Inuyasha. It contained a ring, not unlike Inuyasha's. The hanyou and miko both blinked, wondering why Totosai had bought a ring for Ranma.

"Put it on, pup," Ranma bristled again, his eyes snapping to the swordsmith. He blinked as the ring was held out in front of him before taking it and placing it on the index finger of his right hand, much like Inuyasha wore his. He heard Akane let out a small gasp and he looked back down at his hand, seeing the claws he was becoming used to had taken on the appearance of human fingernails. He grabbed his pigtail, pulling it over his shoulder, seeing nothing but dark strands. He wouldn't be able to see anything else without a mirror but he knew he looked human once again.

"To conceal his appearance." Totosai said redundantly, moving towards the group once again. "Take off the arm band." He practically ordered and Ranma looked to Inuyasha who shrugged, nodding, also curious as to what the old crackpot had in store. Ranma took off the armband and blinked, seeing that the bracelet was also gone. But he could still _feel_ it. Inuyasha stiffened but Totosai brushed him off before he could say anything. "Now, take off the ring."

Ranma did so, more than a little confused, seeing his claws reappear along with the bracelet.

"You've tied the bracelet to the concealment spell." Kagome breathed and Totosai nodded.

"That is what delayed me," he explained, narrowing his huge eyes at Inuyasha who didn't seem fazed in the least. "Now when he is under the concealment spell, the bracelet will also be concealed. I have done my own research into you Saotome Ranma," Ranma groaned internally, wondering what he had managed to uncover. "It seemed best to try and raise as few questions as possible."

"It is most appreciated, Totosai-san," Ranma gave a nod of his head and the old youkai looked pleased. "Thank you."

They watched as Totosai ambled back to his steed, looking every bit the old man he was as he clambered back on Mo-Mo's back.

"I am pleased for you, Inuyasha-sama," he said softly, looking back over to Ranma who had removed the ring and was looking down at the bracelet that now adorned his arm. "He will make a fine addition to the Inu-youkai clan."

"That he will," Inuyasha agreed, a small smile appearing on his face.

"He cannot remove the bracelet himself." Inuyasha's ears flattened minutely but enough for the old youkai to notice. "I doubt you want to risk the pup going through transformations like your own." Inuyasha shook his head, remembering what he could about his own youkai taking over. "That is another reason for the delay. Before the Tessaiga broke, there was no way of telling what would happen if the seal holding your blood was broken. After I created the ring I took it to have the concealment spell placed upon it. It was Osamu, the spell caster that suggested intertwining the spells. He also ensured the boy could not remove it himself." Inuyasha nodded, understanding why Totosai had taken such a precaution. "Only you, Inuyasha-sama, hold the power to remove the bracelet from the boys' wrist."

Before Inuyasha could question him, he had disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the hanyou coughing and trying to clear his nose.

Inuyasha quickly made his way over to the other three, taking Ranma's arm and inspected the bracelet encircling his wrist. There was nothing on the bracelet that would indicate it was anything other than a piece of metal but Inuyasha could feel the slight thrum of power that was being emitted.

"I don't feel any different," Ranma said softly and Inuyasha nodded, letting his wrist go.

"You won't," he explained meeting the boys' eye. "It's not going to affect you in that way. The main objective of this," he tapped the bracelet with a claw, "is to stop the youkai in your blood from taking over."

"What'll happen if it does?" He asked quietly and Inuyasha looked towards Kagome, who nodded, gently grasping Akane's shoulder. There were things that she didn't need to hear just yet.

He gently led Ranma towards the Goshinboku, glancing at the boy before deftly leaping on to one of the lower branches, Ranma quickly following.

"You don't want your youkai blood to take over, Ranma," he said softly, settling back against the trunk of the tree. Ranma sat on the branch in front of him, head tilted to the side, silently enquiring. "The first time it happened to me was when Tessaiga broke." Ranma's eyebrows shot up, thinking on the giant sword, wondering what he meant. It had looked like it was fine when Inuyasha had shown it to him. "Oh, Totosai repaired it but . . ." he took a breath and shuddered, the memories of Goshinki shattering the Tessaiga and the pain that went with it. "Not before the damage had been done."

"What do you mean?" Ranma rested his elbows on his knees, watching the elder hanyou closely.

"You know that Tessaiga was reforged to contain my youkai blood," Ranma nodded, "I didn't even know it existed until after Kagome released me from the tree. It was only after Sesshomaru came looking for our father's tomb, did I even know it existed. If he hadn't come looking for it, my youkai blood would have been sealed forever."

"Because you _didn't_ have the Tessaiga?" Ranma was a little confused.

"But I did," Inuyasha gave a small smirk at Ranma's raised eyebrow. "Before he died, my father ordered that I would receive Tessaiga and Sesshomaru would receive Tenseiga. He was _not_ happy about that." Ranma smirked, wondering how Sesshomaru had reacted. "Because I was so young, obviously I couldn't wield a sword so it was sealed within me."

"Within you?" Inuyasha nodded, ears twitching as he remembered the painful experience of Sesshomaru's method of removal.

"It had been sealed within my right eye." Ranma blinked and shook his head, inwardly cringing at the thought of having something like that inside his eye. "While it was there, it kept my youkai blood under control. I had been in many life threatening situations, so many times I had nearly died before I met Kagome and never once had my youkai blood come to the surface."

"Because you had Tessaiga literally inside you." Inuyasha nodded once again.

"It stopped it from surfacing." Ranma nodded understanding. "But once Tessaiga was broken, there was nothing to contain my blood. And it took over." He shook his head, remembering what they had told him about his first transformation. "If Kagome hadn't used the beads of Subjugation at that moment, I probably would have slaughtered them all." He met Ranma's eye, the teenager looking worriedly at the older hanyou. "That is why that bracelet _never_ comes off. It's too much of a risk. You wouldn't mean to harm anyone but you would."

Ranma let out a breath, looking down to where Kagome was talking with Akane before looking back down to his wrist, where the bracelet now lay. He wouldn't take it off. He wouldn't risk anyone in his life. Looking back towards Inuyasha, he could see the elder hanyou was still troubled by what he had done when his youkai had taken complete control of him, even if he hid it from the rest of the world.

The two of them looked at each other for a moment, Inuyasha relaxing slightly when he could see Ranma understood the meaning behind his words. He nodded and the two of them gracefully jumped down from the tree, walking back towards the house and the other two.

Inuyasha stiffened, a low growl erupting from his chest as he slowly turned, facing two figures Ranma didn't recognise. He could sense their youkai even across the distance between them. Inuyasha moved in front of him, shielding him from their view, his stance protective against the two males.

"So," one of them chuckled, his stance completely relaxed as his eyes drifted towards Ranma, looking him up and down, eliciting a much louder growl from Inuyasha, "this is what you were hiding last time."

The younger of the two looked more wary, his eyes only leaving Inuyasha for a moment before fixing back on the aggravated Inu. Ranma could see that he realised the threat in front of him as he stepped back slightly. The older of the two didn't seem to notice or care that he was riling Inuyasha up, that his mere presence had set the hanyou off.

Ranma stepped back slightly, sensing the power coming from Inuyasha rising the longer the two strangers were there.

Well, this was going to be fun.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while._**

 ** _Okay, I'm not one hundred per cent happy with this chapter but I've re-written it about five times now and if I didn't post it, it wouldn't ever get done._**

Ranma, Kagome and Akane didn't move as the two strangers stood in the middle of the yard. The elder one had a smirk on his face that Ranma didn't appreciate but the younger of the two seemed to realise that the hanyou in front of them wasn't playing around.

"Kouga!" Kagome seemed to snap out of whatever shock she was in, stepping forward and like Inuyasha, placing herself between the strangers and the teens behind them. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Look, I told the mutt that I wanted answers-"

"And you were told that you would get them when the time was right," Inuyasha growled back. Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder and he snorted, his ears flattening into his hair.

"Well, I got impatient." He shrugged and Ranma glanced at Akane, seeing her do the same. While before, Ranma would have been in the thick of what was going on, his newfound instincts, while he hadn't completely got to grips with them yet, were screaming at him to stay out of it. The two others were youkai, that was obvious and the elder, Ranma was most definitely an Alpha. "I wanted to know what you were up to, mutt."

"Kouga, surely you know from coming here the last time that that was not a good idea." Kagome was essentially scolding the youkai in front of her and Akane felt in awe of her lack of fear. "And do you really think that bringing Jirou-kun here was a good idea? It was bad enough when you brought Ichirou-kun last time."

Ranma's eyes drifted from the older of the two, whom he now knew was called Kouga and looked to Jirou. He found the young man's eyes fixed on him, either moving past whatever apprehension he had or simply not caring about the threat Inuyasha posed.

"I would have come back sooner if I'd known it was just another mutt," Kouga shrugged, resting his hands on his hips, ignoring the snarl that came from Inuyasha at the reference to Ranma as a mutt. He had let Kouga's insult go when it came to him as he had figured out (eventually as Kagome put it) that it was merely to goad him. He had never stood for any such reference to his pups and he wouldn't stand them when it came to Ranma.

"Kouga," Kagome's voice was low and warning, one eye kept on Inuyasha and the other on Kouga, "watch what you say."

The wolf shrugged again, smirking at Inuyasha before looking back towards the teen standing behind him. He was also in a slightly defensive pose but his looked more towards the defensive rather than Inuyasha's offensive stance. Kouga wasn't surprised the he hadn't said or done anything thus far. Inu's knew that when it came to the Taisho clan, the fought their own battles. The Inu-hanyou behind the mutt would be looking to Inuyasha as his Alpha so anything he did right now would be seen as a challenge and wouldn't end too well for him.

Kouga had to wonder why Inuyasha was so protective of the one behind him. He looked old enough to look after himself. From the looks of him he had to be at least two fifty – going on what Kouga knew of Inu aging – but Inuyasha was poised in front of him as though he was a pup.

Kagome stiffened, turning behind her as a blur came from the trees surrounding the property. It didn't get far as it was intercepted quickly, a mix of red and silver that reminded the wolf very much of the mutt when he used to wear the fire-rat. Kouga may have been fast but keeping up with the Inu-hanyou without his jewel shards had been a nightmare.

Ranma and Akane winced as both figures went crashing into the ground, thankfully missing the buildings of the shrine but no doubt creating some other kid of mess that would need to be cleaned up. As the dust settled, they saw two figures emerging, once of which had the other's throat in a vice grip.

"Always gotta go for the dramatic entrance, don't you, Zumi?" Ranma looked up onto the roof of the house, seeing what looked to be a perfect replica of Inuyasha standing there, shaking his head.

"It wasn't like it was planned," he turned back to the figure in the dust being able to make out the woman standing there, her long silver hair gathered up in a high ponytail, glittering as the dust cleared. "But I couldn't have this wretch attacking our little nephew now, could I?"

Ranma blinked, her words sinking in. _Nephew?_ These must be Inuyasha and Kagome's other children.

"Where's Mas?" The figure on the roof asked and Ranma shook his head, turning back to Inuyasha to see that his posture had eased slightly. Though his attention was still on the two figures in front of him, his ears were turning and flicking in the direction of the two newcomers. He clearly didn't see them as a threat.

"Checking to see if there are any more hanging around," her response sounded so flippant that Ranma almost chuckled.

At least he did until he saw Kouga's expression. To say he was pissed was an understatement. But he wasn't looking at Inuyasha anymore. His gaze had turned to the one that had been caught by the woman.

"Saburou!" He growled and Ranma's eyebrows shot up. Seriously, had these kids just been named in the order they were born? From the sounds of it, that was the case. Ranma assumed that they belonged to Kouga and if that was true, he really needed an imagination. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

He stalked towards where he was being held which took his that little bit closer to Ranma, Inuyasha circled around the teen, keeping Kouga in his sights as he moved. Even though the wolf had his sights on something else, the hanyou's hackles were up and his instincts were in control.

The woman dropped the other youkai and walked away slowly as Kouga stood in front of him. There was no way that he wasn't Kouga's son. He didn't move and even though he was fully grown, he acknowledged the power of his Alpha. Ranma couldn't help but watch as she walked over to where they were standing and stopping not too far from Inuyasha, locking on to Jirou, who hadn't moved.

Kouga, still seething, turned to look towards Inuyasha and the group, his eyes locking on to Ranma once again. He hadn't missed Izumi calling the teen their nephew. Could he really be the one that the mutt and Kagome had been searching for for over a decade? Kouga would investigate some other time. Right now, he had to deal with his own offspring and find out what the hell he had been thinking.

"My apologies," he inclined his head towards the group, grabbing the back of his son's collar and pulling him up, "we did not come here with the intention to attack and I'm sure that Saburou has a good reason for doing so. I'll find out." With that, the three of them disappeared and Inuyasha finally relaxed.

"He'll be back," Inuyasha muttered, turning slightly, his head still facing the direction the three wolves had disappeared in. "He didn't get the answers he wanted."

"I have to wonder what Saburou-kun was doing though," Kagome said softly, standing next to her mate, thankfully seeing the agitation seep out of his posture.

"Whatever it was, Kouga didn't authorise it. He was pissed." Inuyasha looked towards the newcomers and Ranma looked up at the roof again, seeing another male Inu standing with the first. However, the new man had black hair while the other two had the same silver as Inuyasha.

Who were these three?

"Now, mind explaining what you three are doing here?" Inuyasha asked, crossing his arms over his chest, his ears perking at the female in front of him. Ranma swallowed, wondering if another confrontation was imminent but she just giggled, a brilliant smile on her face as she launched herself at Inuyasha.

"Is it so wrong of us to want to come and visit you, daddy?" Ranma blinked at the exchange, turning to look at Kagome as she placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a warm smile. He turned back to see Inuyasha had wrapped his arms around her, his nose buried in between her twitching ears.

"Uh-huh," he lifted his head, looking towards the two on the roof. "Right. You three are just being nosy." He smirked and the other two jumped down, landing silently just behind Inuyasha.

"Is it so wrong of us to want to come and meet the new member of the family?" The black haired one asked, a very Inuyasha-looking smirk on his face.

"A little warning would have been nice," Kagome scolded lightly and the three of them shrugged, looking completely unashamed.

"We got here at the right time though," the female pointed out and Kagome nodded, smiling at her. She held out her arms and immediately engulfed the young woman, Inuyasha watching with a small smile on his face.

He turned to look to Ranma who gave him a wide-eyed look in return. "Come here, kid." Inuyasha beckoned him forward, wrapping his arm around the teens shoulders as he walked over. "Now, I'd like you to meet our three monsters," the three of them huffed at the reference, "this is Kazuhiko," he motioned to the male in front of him, who even up close looked exactly like Inuyasha, minus the markings. His hair, eyes and ears were exactly the same. If it weren't for the fact that he didn't have the same ancient look in his eyes as his father did, a look that told of hardships and pain, they would have been identical. "This is Masaru." The black-haired male gave Ranma a two-finger salute, winking as he did so. Ranma could see that he was the playful one of the three of them, even through that gesture alone. He could also see that Masaru's hair was not just black. It was a mixture of black and silver, the colours mixing in the low ponytail he wore. Ranma could also see that while his ears were silver, there was a large black patch on his left ear. He appeared to be an even mix of his two parents.

"And," Inuyasha turned Ranma to face Kagome who still had the female wrapped in a hug, "this is Izumi." She gave him a bright smile, as she had Inuyasha, a small giggle escaping. Much like Kazuhiko, she took after her father explicitly. Her amber eyes were bright and her silver hair shone in the sunlight but like her brother, she didn't have the markings that Inuyasha did. He wondered, not for the first time, what the significance of the markings was, as Sesshomaru had them as well.

"He looks exactly like her," Ranma started a little at the voice behind him, seeing Kazuhiko had stepped closer, his eyes fixed on Ranma as he took him in.

"Jumpy little thing, isn't he?" Izumi grinned and Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"What do you expect?" He gripped Ranma a little closer. "He's still getting used to everything and having you three turn up is always a shock to the system."

"Hey!" Ranma's ears twitched at the volume of protests coming from the three Inu's at their father's jibe and Ranma shook his head, trying to clear it.

"So, what _are_ you three doing here?" Inuyasha asked and the three of them started to explain why they had made the journey from the Western Fortress to Tokyo. Ranma tuned them out, looking past Kagome who had walked forward to where Akane was standing, a little ways off, watching with an unreadable expression on her face.

He held out a hand to her and she started, having been unaware that he was looking at her. She gave him a smile and he lifted his hand a little more, silently asking for support. She slowly walked towards them, aware that with so many youkai around, moving too quickly might not have been a good idea. She placed her hand in his and he intertwined their fingers gently, pulling her closer to him.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly and she looked up at him.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," she whispered back and he smiled. "You look a little overwhelmed."

"That's one way to put it." He sighed, looking at the other Inu's in front of him. While their visit was unannounced, he could see that Inuyasha and Kagome were happy to see their children. Who wouldn't be? And who knew how long it had been since they'd seen each other.

"Well, well, who do we have here?" Masaru has made his way around and was now standing on the other side of Akane, looking between the two of them. He could see that there was something there but there wasn't anything to really signify what. Nonetheless, it would have been stupid for him to try anything. Ranma's ears immediately snapped back to lay flat on his head and a low growl sounded from his throat. Masaru held up his hands, stepping away. "Easy, easy, I'm not gonna try anything. We just haven't been introduced."

"Izumi, Masaru, Kazuhiko, this is Akane." Kagome gave the girl a smile and Akane immediately felt the eyes of all three new Inu's on her. It was a little intimidating to say the least. "Akane, as I'm sure you've guessed by now, these are our children."

"It's nice to meet you," Akane gave a small bow and Izumi giggled.

"You won't be saying that about those two in an hour or so." She paid no attention to the glares her brothers gave her, looking Akane over, taking her measure as the girl stood there.

It wasn't too long before everyone filtered inside, Ranma's grip on Akane's hand never dropping.

"Mama?" Kagome stopped as Izumi turned, looking over towards the shrine. "Akane . . . are she and Ranma . . .?"

"She has to make the decision," Kagome said softly, watching her daughter as her ears twitched in the gentle breeze. She was so much like her father, Kagome could scarcely believe it, even now. But unlike Inuyasha, Izumi hadn't grown up with the world against her, so she hadn't developed the barrier her father had the was used to keep the world out.

Izumi had been the first Inu born since Inuyasha's own birth three hundred years prior and her birth marked something the Inu's had needed. While she had been hanyou, no one had cared, the arrival of a pup was always something to be celebrated.

Izumi nodded, looking towards her mother. "Do you think she can handle Ranma if she does."

"Oh," Kagome laughed, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "I have no doubt she'll be able to keep him in line."

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Once the initial shock of "the three invaders" as Inuyasha had labelled them had worn off, both Ranma and Akane started to relax. Akane, having grown up with two sisters, was used to the sibling relationship but Ranma, although he had been living with the Tendo's for some time, was an only child and it had just been him and his father as far back as he could remember. He didn't have the experience with large families so he was a little was feeling like a fish out of water.

There wasn't really any way he could describe being in the presence of the Taisho siblings. They were loud and rambunctious but there as a certain elegance to the way they moved and spoke, even though Masaru had managed to somehow wind Izumi up enough so that she was currently pursuing him around the house.

Both Inuyasha and Kagome had noticed what was happening and both rolled their eyes, Kagome shaking her head at the antics of her children.

"Are you okay?" Akane asked quietly, startling Ranma out of his slight trance. He turned to look at her, seeing her watching him, a small smile on her face.

"Hmm?"

"How are you doing?" She asked and he looked around at the organised chaos that was going on. Inuyasha had disappeared along with Izumi and Masaru while Kagome sat close to Ranma, talking with Kazuhiko, her proximity allowing Ranma to know she was there if he needed her but allowing him to adjust to the Inu siblings in his own way.

"Ummm . . ." he shook his head slightly, glancing at Akane and shrugging. "I don't know. Ask me again later." She giggled slightly, nodding, watching the teen as his gaze settled through the window that faced out across to where the field that Inuyasha took him to train was, his ears flicking and twitching although he, himself looked far away.

The four in the room turned towards the doorway as a loud crash sounded through the house. Kazuhiko looked to his mother, seeing the resigned look on her face as she realised that Izumi and Masaru had broken something. It had been a common occurrence as the pups were growing up. Masaru always knew what buttons of Izumi's to push to get a reaction and while Kazuhiko was most like Inuyasha in looks, Izumi definitely took after their father in personality.

Kazuhiko smirked as the sound of his siblings protesting reached his ears, glancing over at Ranma, seeing the confusion on his face. He couldn't help but chuckle at his great-nephew's expression, causing the teen to look at him.

"Don't worry about that," Kazuhiko shrugged, taking a drink of the water in front of him, reminding Ranma very much of Sesshomaru in that moment. "You'll get used to it."

"I'm used to it," Ranma admitted and Kazuhiko raised an eyebrow. "I'm just not used to it being someone else breaking something." He admitted and Akane giggled behind Ranma. Kazuhiko grinned and Kagome noticed the look passing between her son and grandson (she refused to add in the extra generations in that relationship. Acknowledging that Ranma as a grandson was making her feel old enough, she didn't need to add to it) and knew that she was in trouble. Kazuhiko might be the best behaved out of her children but he had a sneaky streak to him that could be just as effective as his siblings' rowdiness.

Jeez, they were in trouble.

A few moments later, Inuyasha appeared with Izumi and Masaru, loudly protesting and Ranma quickly saw why. Inuyasha, looking extremely frustrated, held them each by an ear, manoeuvring them into the room ahead of him in what was a practised move.

"You two do realise that this is not the Fortress, right?" Kazuhiko smirked at his siblings, receiving murderous looks in response.

"Hiko." Kagome chided him gently and he shook his head, winking at Ranma. Ranma blinked at the scene in front of him, watching as Inuyasha had the two kneel on the floor before letting go. They immediately rubbed at their ears, shooting their father dirty looks. Ranma took this to be a normal occurrence as the older Inu ignored the other two completely. "What'd you break?" Ranma and Akane glanced at each other, glad that for once, that question wasn't directed at them.

Kazuhiko sighed, looking over to Ranma and nodding towards the back door. Ranma looked to Inuyasha, who had seen his son's indication and nodded to the nervous teen. At the encouraging look on Inuyasha's face he stood up, noting that Akane didn't. He looked down and she smiled up at him before nodding towards where Kazuhiko had left through the backdoor.

"Don't worry, kid," Inuyasha placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's not gonna hurt ya. Just keep calm and you'll be fine. I'll be right in here." Ranma nodded, feeling ridiculous at being nervous. He felt stupid. All the things he had been through and he was getting worked up about someone – by all right's, his uncle – wanting to talk to him.

Good thing his pop couldn't see him.

He followed Kazuhiko outside into the sunshine, feeling the warmth of the summer as he stood there. Kazuhiko had taken off the sweater he had been wearing, tossing it over a chair that had been set up at the back of the house, away from the shrine. Ranma noticed that he wore a bracelet on his left wrist, much like the one that was now wrapped around Ranma's arm. So it wasn't just him Inuyasha worried about? He was concerned about the youkai in his children as well.

"You okay, kid?" He looked towards the older Inu, shaking his head as he moved towards him. "Spaced out?"

"A little," Ranma admitted, feeling stupid again.

"Don't worry, you'll adjust." He shrugged and Ranma snorted softly. He couldn't adjust quickly enough in his mind. His transformation into hanyou had happened over a week ago and things still felt completely off. He was starting to think he would never get used to it. He looked over to see Kazuhiko watching him closely, feeling a little uncomfortable at the scrutiny. While Inuyasha, Kagome and Akane had watched him, even stared at him on occasion, he hadn't ever felt like he did in that moment. Like he was being analysed in some way.

"Sorry," Kazuhiko sighed, turning away. "It's just . . . you look so like her." Ranma looked down at the table, unsure of what to say. He hadn't ever had to deal with a death in the family before. It had always been him and his father. He didn't remember his mother having left her when he was two. He hadn't had to think about losing someone before. "Even though she was only an infant, you look just like her." He sighed again, noticing Ranma's unease. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad."

"You miss her." Ranma stated and Kazuhiko nodded.

"Every day." He whispered though Ranma's new ears picked it up with ease.

"Inuyasha and Kagome told me what happened." Ranma told him and the older Inu's ears flattened at the memory of being told that his infant sister wouldn't be coming home. He had been confused and angry, taking it out on his father. It took him a long time to realise that his parents hadn't had a choice with what they had done. He had never seen either of them so heartbroken as when they had come back without Honoka.

But now . . . having found Ranma. It was as though they had a little piece of Honoka back.

"So . . . martial arts, huh?" Kazuhiko grinned as Ranma perked up. He had heard a little about the teen from his uncle Sesshomaru when he had returned to the fortress a few weeks prior and apparently, his new nephew was quite an accomplished martial artist.

He could see Ranma's eyes sparkle at the thought of sparring. People thought that Kazuhiko actually resembled Sesshomaru when it came to his actions and movements but when it came to fighting, his style was the same as his father's.

The sat in the sunshine, having found a common ground in the various fights they had had over the years – Kazuhiko somewhat wondering how Ranma had ever survived as a human, the amount of trouble he used to get into – while he was sure the other two were still in trouble for whatever it was they broke.

Middle sibling smugness was definitely in full force.

He noticed Ranma stiffen as they heard a soft yowling from a few meters away. Ranma's ears swivelled picking up the sound as Kazuhiko noticed his mother's extraordinarily fat cat ambling around not too far away. Ranma was staring at it, his muscles tense and wondered for a moment if the canine instincts that had been woken in the pup were starting to kick in.

After all, dogs do chase cats.

But there was more to it than that.

Ranma didn't move as the cat ambled around, wary of the two Inu's nearby but not nearly enough to make a run for it as he had done when Inuyasha had started coming around. Kazuhiko was wary about what was running through Ranma's mind as he sat stock still.

"Dad," he whispered softly, knowing that his father would hear him. "You need to come outside. Quietly." Silent as a breeze, Inuyasha appeared behind his son, his eyes flicking between him and Ranma.

"Dammit," he hissed, following Ranma's gaze towards the cat. "Buyo." Kazuhiko, Izumi and Masaru didn't know about the neko-ken and this was not really the way they wanted to have to explain it. Akane had explained that Ranma's reaction to cats was extreme and Inuyasha had hoped that they wouldn't have to expose him to the trauma it appeared to bring on.

Of course, there were neko-youkai in the Western Fortress, where Sesshomaru would no doubt they request – or rather _demand_ – they bring Ranma for the Autumn Festival but he knew they would have to deal with that when the time came.

The majority of the youkai there remained in their human forms so it shouldn't have been an issue.

Inuyasha watched Ranma as the young hanyou's keen eyes followed the cat, watching as Buyo waddled across the courtyard, muscles coiled, waiting for a reaction from the teenager. Ranma blinked as the cat moved out of sight, confused by his own reaction, or rather his _lack_ of reaction.

For as long as he could remember, whenever he had come into contact with a cat, even from a distance the Ailurophobia that had developed after the neko-ken training had kicked in. While he hated that he had such a strong reaction to cats, it was something that had been a constant.

But when he had laid eyes on what appeared to be the fattest cat he had ever seen, there was nothing. There wasn't the paralysing fear that always accompanied the spying of a feline. He shook his head slightly, looking around and seeing Inuyasha watching him closely.

"Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked walking around Kazuhiko to stand next to Ranma.

Ranma blinked, looking in the direction that Buyo had disappeared in. "I don't know." He answered honestly looking up at Inuyasha. He could see the worry in his ancestor's eyes, worry for him. He understood why he would be worried after what he and Akane had told him. "That's never happened before."

"Umm . . ." Kazuhiko was extremely confused, wondering why his father would be worried about Ranma being around a cat. There was obviously something he was missing. Being an Inu, there was definitely no way that Ranma should have been afraid of a cat. It must have been something from when Ranma was human because as an Inu-hanyou, instincts regarding cats were pretty much the same as the non-youkai counterpart.

Hell, he remembered when they had to try and catch Masaru when he had been chasing a neko-youkai around the fortress.

"Hiko," he turned, hearing his mother's voice as she walked out to where they were. "What's going on?" He shook his head, indicating he wasn't sure and she stepped out a little further.

"The cat," Inuyasha stated and Kagome's eyes widened, looking for Buyo. "He's gone now. Hiko, can you tell your mother what happened?" He nodded, following his mother inside, still confused.

Inuyasha looked back towards Ranma, who looked more confused than anything. "Looks as though I don't have to worry about cats anymore." Ranma gave Inuyasha a nervous smile and the older hanyou let out a relieved a sigh, shaking his head as he took the chair his son had just vacated. He could hear Kagome explaining to their pups why they had been worried.

"It seems your new instincts have overridden the neko-ken, which I can't say I'm too upset about." Ranma looked towards his great-great grandfather. "The neko-ken was never meant for humans. The fact that your father managed to find the instructions for it was a mistake and that he chose to 'train' you in it make him irresponsible. And it's not giving me much confidence in sending you back there."

Ranma let out a sigh, biting his lip. "You know why I have to go back. It would raise too many questions if I didn't."

"I know," Inuyasha grumbled, his ears creasing back, showing his displeasure at the thought. "Doesn't mean I have to like it." Ranma grinned to himself upon hearing Inuyasha's tone.

"If . . ." he bit his lip, not wanting to get his hopes up.

"If what?" Inuyasha leaned forward, wondering what was running through the teenager's mind.

"If the . . . if turning me hanyou, bringing out that side of me counteracted the neko-ken, do you think that . . . it could have affected the Jusenkyo curse?"

"I'll be honest, I've thought about it." Inuyasha admitted, leaning back in his seat. "There's only one way to find out." He shrugged and Ranma gave him an unhappy look, glancing inside. He didn't really want to have his curse revealed to the three inside, hating that people from school knew that he turned into a girl. He didn't want the entire youkai community to know as well. "You think _they're_ going to judge you?" Inuyasha snorted. "Trust me, I could tell you stories about what they've got up to over the last few centuries that would make Jusenkyo seem like nothing." He stood up, walking to the side of the house, picking up the end of the hose. "You wanna find out?"

Ranma sighed, looking down at his hands before looking at Inuyasha and nodding. He squeezed his eyes closed, hearing the others run out of the house and gasping slightly as the freezing water hit him.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.**_

 _ **I want to apologise for the wait between the last chapter and this one. I've been in and out of hospital for most of this year due to a longstanding condition. Things seem to be looking up and I'm on the mend though so I was able to get this written. I'll be honest, it's not my best and may be tweaked at a later date but I wanted to get something posted.**_

 ** _Hope you guys enjoy anyway :)_**

Kagome, Akane, Izumi, Kazuhiko and Masaru stared at Inuyasha as he turned the hose off, wondering what the hell he had been thinking.

"Inuyasha-"

"Gah! You got water in my ears!" Kagome and Akane turned to the very male voice coming from Ranma although he was soaking wet with cold water that had just come from the hose Inuyasha had just put away.

"Well, that answers that question." Inuyasha walked over to the teenager that was trying to wring the water out of his ears. "Don't worry, it'll clear." Ranma shook his head again, shooting a foul look at Inuyasha, unable to hear a thing.

Akane let out a giggle, covering her smile quickly with her hand as she earned a grin from the three "children", such as they were. They all seemed highly amused at the sight of Ranma stuck with water in his ears.

"Um, dad, you wanna explain?" Masaru asked, unable to keep the amusement out of his tone.

"It's gone." Akane blinked, her mind suddenly catching up with what she was seeing now that the shock and humour of the situation had ebbed slightly. For her, at least.

Ranma, who was still trying to get the water out of his ears, hadn't heard her and was most interested in getting rid of that discomfort above all else. Inuyasha chuckled, gently grabbing his ears, ignoring the surprised yelp and began gently rubbing the base of each ear, knowing it would ease the problem.

"What's gone?" Izumi asked, looking as confused as her brother at the spectacle in front of them.

"The Jusenkyo curse Ranma had on him," Inuyasha grinned to Kagome and Akane who were beaming back at him. The newest hanyou, and the subject of the topic at hand, had absolutely no idea what was going on. He shook his head, pulling his ears out of his great-grandfather's grip, sighing at the feeling of clear ears once again. "Hey, kid, you're curse free."

Ranma blinked, looking down at himself and expecting to see the large breasts that usually accompanied his being drenched with cold water. He couldn't contain his grin when he took in the distinctly _male_ body he was seeing. He looked at Akane who was also grinning.

"It's gone," he whispered, looking down at his hands and back up at Inuyasha, who was smiling down at him. "It's gone."

"What is? Some curse?" Ranma turned to Izumi, Kazuhiko and Masaru, seeing the confused looks on their faces.

"Well, my dad and I spent some time in China and he decided it would be a good idea to visit a little used training ground called Jusenkyo. Wasn't long before we found out _why_ it was used so little." He sighed, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. He could see that while Inuyasha and Sesshomaru knew of Jusenkyo, they hadn't made their children aware of them. "There are pools at the training ground, that you avoid at all costs. You fall into one of them and you're cursed."

"I don't get it," Izumi stated bluntly.

"My dad fell into the 'Spring of Drowned Panda', meaning that whenever he gets hit with cold water, he . . . turns into a panda," Izumi tried to stifle a laugh but failed miserably at doing so. "Yup. He turns into a panda. And . . ." He looked to Inuyasha who nodded, a smile on his face.

"Go ahead, they make fun of ya, I got hundreds of stories about them growin' up. Many of 'em worse than your curse." He grinned, ignoring the three indignant looks he was getting.

"Well, I fell into one of the pools. The uh, 'Spring of Drowned Girl'." He looked up at the three of them, expecting some kind of mirth to come from the three hanyou's in front of him but all he saw were stunned expressions.

"So . . . every time you were hit with cold water, you'd turn into a . . . girl?" Masaru asked, a slightly amused confusion in his tone and Ranma nodded. "Huh. Was not expecting that."

"But Daddy hit you with water from the hose," Izumi's ears creased back, realisation dawning on her face as a wide smile broke out across her lips. "Bringing out your yokai blood removed the curse."

"Looks that way," Inuyasha chuckled, placing a hand on Ranma's shoulder. Ranma couldn't help the grin and relieved laugh that spilled from his lips as he ran his hands over his face. Inuyasha looked to Kagome, seeing the pleased smile that graced her lips. She looked up to him and he nodded to her. Bringing out his yokai blood had removed the Jusenkyo curse, Ranma's Ailurophobia and brought their family back to them.

If there had been any lingering doubt that bringing Ranma to how he should have always been was the right decision, it had been erased in that moment.

"I um, I think I should go change." Ranma stood up, still grinning gleefully as he shook himself off, causing water to spray everywhere and Inuyasha to raise his arm to shield his face from the onslaught. Akane giggled at the sight, her thoughts immediately seeing the dog-like similarities in Ranma's behaviour.

Ranma's grin didn't leave his face for the rest of the evening or well into the next morning. He was curse free! He didn't need to worry about being turned into a girl whenever it started to rain or walking down the street where that crazy old lady seemed to _always_ be washing her walkway.

The only thing that made his smile drop slightly was thinking about what the reaction at the dojo would be when they found out.

He needed to speak to Akane so they could figure something out. He didn't want to tell anyone there about his heritage. Not just yet. He wouldn't know how they would react to it and it wasn't a can of worms that he wanted to open just yet.

"Hey, kid! Pay attention!" He was brought back into the present by Masaru's shout, only just managing to dodge what would have been a devastating blow from Inuyasha.

They were still working on his control over his new strength. Inuyasha had told him that due to his martial arts training, he had managed to gain control a lot faster than he had expected he would. But that didn't mean he could slack off. Even though he had always been stronger than most around him, the strength he wielded now was still alien to him and he had to get to grips with it as quickly as possible. He and Akane needed to go back to the dojo by the next week otherwise questions that neither of them wanted would be asked.

"Keep your mind on what you're doing, Ranma!" Inuyasha growled as Ranma settled into a stance. He felt something rise in him at the sound Inuyasha made, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. There was something whispering in the back of his mind, his blood starting to feel hot as a snarl he didn't quite know the origin of rippled through his throat.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed at the sound, seeing Ranma's eyes cloud slightly and his posture change as he stood there. It didn't seem as though Ranma was entirely aware of what was happening to him, his instincts taking over. Inuyasha could see what was happening in front of him and adjusted his stance accordingly.

He wasn't disappointed when Ranma let out another snarl and launched himself at Inuyasha, who was ready for the attack.

Kagome's head snapped around, knowing exactly what was going on as a cloud of dust appeared around where her mate had been.

Akane ran outside to where she was standing with Kazuhiko, Izumi and Masaru. The three of them were ready to jump into it when Kagome held out a hand.

"No!"

"But Mama-" Masaru looked at his mother, astonished.

"Do _not_ approach." She warned, her tone hard, not taking her eyes off where Inuyasha and Ranma were facing off.

"What's happening?" Akane whispered, her eyes glued to what was unfolding in front of her.

"Ranma's challenging Inuyasha," Kagome glanced at Akane who let out a small gasp. "We knew that it was likely to happen. Ranma's young and strong. His instincts were bound to kick in and try for dominance over Inuyasha." She could see the worry in Akane's eyes, placing a hand on her shoulder, giving her a small smile. "Don't worry. Inuyasha will make sure he's not hurt." She nodded, turning back to the hanyou's who were currently squaring off.

If he was being honest, Inuyasha had been expecting the challenge sooner than this. He had been expecting it before Totosai had brought the bracelet to contain his yokai. It was that, prickling at his consciousness and pushing forward with the attack from Inuyasha that was prompting the challenge. While it was reined in by the bracelet and he was unable to remove it, it still pushed against Ranma's human side, urging for dominance over the older Inu.

As the teenager stood there, snarling at him after Inuyasha had kicked him away, Inuyasha pulled on his own youki. It would be required to put Ranma in his place.

The younger hanyou launched himself again and Inuyasha could see that it was his instincts running the show right now. He wouldn't hurt the boy but he had to let him know who was Alpha out of the Inu's around.

Inuyasha blocked the blow that had come in, sensing Ranma's leg coming up around him. He grabbed his ankle, twisting him round and over his shoulder, slamming the teenager into the ground. Inuyasha heard Ranma let out a grunt as he landed on his back, before acting quickly and practically sitting on his chest. He wrapped a hand around his throat, allowing his eyes to change with the presence of his youki.

Ranma wrestled against Inuyasha's grip as he held him down, one hand on his throat and the other forcefully holding Ranma's arm up by his head. He had his foot holding down Ranma's other arm, ensuring the younger hanyou couldn't move. He pulled on his youki, allowing it to resonate through him and surround Ranma. He straightened up, letting out a deep growl and a loud bark not unlike the one Sesshomaru had when Ranma had first met up. Much like then, Ranma stiffened however, unlike Sesshomaru's bark, this had been one to reinforce dominance.

The others watched on, tense, as Ranma continued to struggle against Inuyasha's grip. Akane remembered what Kagome had told her that the older Inu's tended to be stronger than their younger counterparts. She could see that her words were true as Inuyasha held Ranma down. She had known how strong Ranma was while he was still human and had seen it grow when he had become a hanyou. Seeing Inuyasha holding him down like he was made her wonder how strong the silver haired Inu truly was.

Inuyasha let out another rumbling growl, pushing his youki towards Ranma, feeling it brush against the teen's own. Feeling the presence, Ranma stiffened again, his instincts forcing him to settle as the grip on his throat and arms increased. He blew out a snort through his nose, his head automatically tipping back to expose his throat as a low whine of submission escaped him. Sensing this, Inuyasha let out another rumble, removing his hand and leaning over and lightly gripping Ranma's throat in his teeth, hearing another low whine coming from the teenager.

Once he sensed that Ranma had truly submitted to Inuyasha as Alpha, he released the teenager. Inuyasha pulled his youki back in, looking down at Ranma as the teen blinked, his eyes clearing and Inuyasha knew that Ranma's rational mind had taken back over.

Ranma let out another whine and Inuyasha released his arms, leaning over and resting his forehead against Ranma's. "I'm sorry," Ranma whispered, his eyes closed and Inuyasha let out another low rumble, much like the purr he had let out when Ranma was first coming to grips with his new instincts.

"No apologies needed, kid," Inuyasha said softly. "We knew it was coming. It was only a matter of time before your instincts to challenge kicked in. I was waiting for it." Ranma nodded and Inuyasha moved off him, standing up. He pulled Ranma up, wrapping his hand around his head and pulling him to him. "Don't worry about it. It's not the first time I've been challenged."

"Who else?" Ranma whispered. Inuyasha could sense that he was ashamed that he had attacked his own ancestor and the one that had been guiding him through his transition to the new world he was being exposed to. "The others?"

"No," Inuyasha chuckled. "My sons haven't challenged me _because_ they're my sons. They've _always_ known I'm the boss. No, the challenges have come from others that didn't believe I deserved my place in the hierarchy. Managed to show them all who's boss, though."

Ranma rested his head on Inuyasha's shoulder, another whine escaping his throat as he closed his eyes. Inuyasha buried his nose in between Ranma's ears, sensing that the young hanyou was beating himself up internally.

Kagome smiled as she saw the two of them together, wrapping her arm around a still tense Akane. "Everything's okay." Akane didn't look convinced. "Ranma's yokai instincts have completely accepted Inuyasha as Alpha. We knew that it was going to happen. That hadn't been established previously. It had been Inuyasha's age and strength that had kept Ranma's yokai at bay but something happened today. We'll probably never know what it is but their roles have been established now and there shouldn't be any more issues."

"It's done?"

"Mm-hmm," Kagome nodded, giving Akane's shoulder a quick squeeze. "I'll be honest, it could have been a lot worse. If Ranma hadn't submitted when he did, there may have been blood. We're lucky there wasn't."

Those words made Akane relieved that it hadn't been worse than it was.

"Never seen anyone challenge Dad before," Kazuhiko murmured, the other two shaking their heads. The last true challenge to come at Inuyasha had been when Kagome was expecting Izumi. There had been grievances since then but nothing that had been physical so they had never seen their father responding to a challenge of his dominance before.

He was the second most powerful youkai they knew of – coming second only to their uncle – and no one had questioned that before.

Inuyasha held Ranma for a few more moments, before stepping back and releasing the teen. "You're okay," he said softly.

The two of them turned back to the others to see Akane and Kagome watching them with smiles on their faces. The other three through, it turns out were bickering amongst themselves. This time, it appeared, Kazuhiko had done something to wind up Izumi because after a few seconds, he ran off, his sister quickly following after him, leaving the youngest of the three laughing as he watched them. Ranma raised an eyebrow, looking towards his great-grandfather (he couldn't be bothered to think of how many generations were in between the two of them) who just glanced at him and shrugged.

Inuyasha wrapped his arm around Ranma's shoulders and they walked back towards the two women in front of them. Kagome wrapped her arms around Ranma as soon as he was within reach, whispering to him gently.

"Are you okay?" Akane whispered as he moved over to her.

"I don't know," Ranma shrugged, letting out a sigh as his attention was caught by the others wrestling where Izumi had managed to catch Hiko. "I guess I just . . . don't know where that came from."

"Kagome said that apparently, it was inevitable. That Inuyasha's dominance hadn't been really established and that they knew it would be coming at some point." She reached up and ran her fingers over the outside of one of Ranma's ears, smiling as it twitched and he gave her a sidelong glance. She grinned moving her fingers to the base of his ear, give it a gentle rub. He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch, completely unaware of the gaze of his ancestors.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

The next week, Akane and Ranma were not in the best of moods. They had to go back to the dojo the next day. Inuyasha and Kagome weren't pleased with what was transpiring either but they knew it had to happen. If Ranma and Akane didn't go back to the dojo with enough time to prepare for school, there would be questions.

Inuyasha and Kagome had informed Ranma of the Autumn Gathering and Izumi had made them aware that the nobles in the Western Fortress knew of Ranma so his presence there would be expected.

It was something that couldn't be avoided and he had been pleased when they had told him Akane could accompany him. While part of him thought that he was relying on her presence too much, another part of him wanted to keep her close. Inuyasha had explained to him that it seemed his youkai side had claimed her as his own which meant he would want to keep her close at all times. He had also made him aware that he would need to control himself and not let his instincts take over. With their fight from the previous week still fresh in his mind, Ranma was worrying about keeping that in check.

Inuyasha and Kagome had called Ranma and Akane to talk to them before they went to bed. They looked slightly nervous as the teenagers sat down in front of them.

"Okay," Inuyasha sighed, resting his arms on the table. "There's one thing we haven't mentioned to you yet, Ranma. It's something you need to be aware of too, Akane, so you can be prepared for it." The two of them looked at each other nervously. " _Every_ hanyou, no matter what their breed or who they are, has a time of weakness."

"What does that mean?" Ranma asked and Inuyasha sighed gently.

"It means that for a period of time, all hanyou's lose their youkai powers and are completely human," Ranma's eyes widened and jaw dropped. "If the pattern holds, yours should be on the night of the new moon."

"How do you know that?" Ranma asked and Kagome gave him a small smile.

"Inuyasha's human night is on the new moon and our children have taken after him in that respect. You may take after him and the others in that respect or you may not." Kagome explained and Ranma felt nervous at the news. "We would have told you about it sooner but it's been a huge adjustment for you anyway. We're not telling you now to scare you but you need to know."

Ranma nodded, knowing that he needed to know this information. The thought that his powers would be disappearing, even temporarily, made him worry. He had remembered what it was like to be powerless after Happosai had hit him with the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion.

"So . . . I'll be back to the strength I was when I was human?" Ranma asked and Inuyasha.

"It's temporary but it can be disorienting." Inuyasha advised and Ranma let out a sigh. "The new moon is next week. I'm gonna need you to let me know when it happens." Ranma nodded, looking forward to going back to the dojo even less.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

The following morning, Ranma let out a sigh as he slipped the concealment ring on, watching as the spell on the ring took over and the claws he had become used to change back into fingernails, seeing his new amber eyes revert back to the blue they had been when he was human. He turned his head, seeing the human ears he hadn't sported since he had tested the ring when Totosai brought it for him. It had been safely tucked into Kagome's jewellery box so it wouldn't get lost before he left for the dojo.

Even though it had only been a few weeks, his human appearance now seemed so alien to him.

"So, this is what you looked like as a human," Ranma turned, seeing Izumi leaning on the doorway to the guest bedroom he had been using since moving into the house from the main shrine. He felt his cheeks heating slightly as she smiled at him. "I gotta admit though, I'm curious as to what you looked like as a girl." Ranma rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"Right," He mumbled and she giggled, walking into the room. "There are pictures around somewhere. That's the only place she'll be seen again, thank god."

"It can't have been _that_ bad." She queried and Ranma snorted.

"Imagine if you fell into a pool of water and came out a guy," Izumi's nose wrinkled at the thought and Ranma chuckled at the expression.

" _Exactly,_ " Izumi flicked an ear and Ranma chuckled again. "She _did_ have some admirers though." Izumi giggled as Ranma sighed. "Kuno's going to be so upset."

"Kuno?" Ranma blinked, forgetting that Izumi hadn't had the pleasure of meeting Tatewaki Kuno.

"He's one of my female form's admirers. _Every_ morning, without fail, he challenges me to a fight to 'release the pigtailed girl'. The dude's insane, I swear." Ranma shuddered and Izumi grinned. "He's going to be so upset to find out he'll never see her again."

"I'm sure he'll be fine." She shrugged and Ranma laughed.

"If you think that, you have definitely never met Kuno." Ranma chuckled, checking his bag to make sure he hadn't left anything. He sighed, zipping the bag closed and closing his eyes. "I don't know if I can do this."

She walked over to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. "You're gonna be fine. You're a _Taisho_ , even if your name is Saotome." Ranma couldn't help but be proud of the statement of being a Taisho. He felt that was a name he could be proud of, even though the thought terrified him a little bit. The name held connotations and responsibilities that he wasn't truly in the know about but he would be surrounded by family and that made him feel a bit safer. "Mama and Daddy will be right here if you need them and you have Akane, whose in the know. You'll be fine."

He nodded, grabbing his bag and turning to face her. He met Akane at the bottom of the stairs, seeing she had her bag ready to go.

"You know that we're here if you need _anything,_ right?" Kagome said softly, grabbing both Ranma and Akane in a huge hug, having grown close to both of the teenagers. Even though they weren't going too far, Kagome was going to miss having them around the shrine.

They wanted to walk them back to the dojo, however with their story of having been on a training trip, they wouldn't be able to do that. If they were seen with Inuyasha or Kagome, it could jeopardise their story. Izumi would be following them at a distance to ensure that Ranma was okay with being out in the city. It would be a test of his new senses.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Ranma, for the first time since gaining his new senses, he wished he didn't have them. Walking through the city, he registered the sounds that he had either not noticed before or been able to block out. Underlying scents that he wouldn't have been able to smell as a human were drifting into his nose and not all of them pleasant.

"How you doing?" Akane asked softly and he let out a breath, trying to keep from being overwhelmed and really hoping that they didn't run into anyone they knew on the way home.

"It's . . . overwhelming." He said softly.

"Well, Izumi's around here somewhere if you really need her." She said softly.

"Yeah, I know." He glanced around knowing that his great-aunt was hanging around somewhere but not really able to find where. "I just . . . I dunno. It's not gonna be the same at the dojo. Dealing with our dad's would have been hard enough without the heightened senses but-"

He stopped, his sensitive ears picking up something he didn't want to hear.

A bike bell.

He looked around, panicking slightly at the thought that Shampoo could be somewhere around. He hadn't even noticed that they were back in the Nerima district. He grabbed Akane and pulled her down the street and into an alleyway, keeping an ear and an eye out for the bike and its possible purple haired rider.

"Ranma! What-" he held a finger up to her lips, silencing her for a moment and Akane was reminded in that moment that the concealment spell was only that. It only gave him a human _appearance_. She could feel the tip of his claw touching the end of her nose as he watched the end of the alleyway.

She pushed his hand away carefully, wondering what had gotten into him. He had obviously heard something. "What is it?"

"Shampoo," he whispered and she blinked. He closed his eyes, focusing his hearing on the sound he was trying to pick up. He didn't know whether it was actually Shampoo or not but he wasn't about to take that chance. "I heard the bike bell. The only time I _ever_ hear a bike bell is when Shampoo's out on a delivery."

"Wow," Akane murmured, marvelling at his hearing.

He stiffened as he heard the bell again, closer than it had been before. He moved further down into the alleyway as the sound got closer and Akane's jaw dropped as a few minutes later, Shampoo whisked by the opening. He remained there for another minute before he grabbed his and Akane's bags in on hand and her wrist in the other and running out of the alleyway, towards the dojo.

"Jeez, Ranma," Akane panted slightly as they slowed, turning onto the street where the dojo was. "Warn someone before you do that."

"Sorry," he smiled apologetically. "I just didn't want to risk running into Shampoo."

"Uh huh," she grunted, getting her breath back and pulling her bag away from Ranma. He looked like he was going to protest the move but she held up a hand. "They'll know something's up if you're carrying my bag." He blinked as she turned and walked away from him down the street, shrugging before following her.

They stopped outside the gate of the Tendo dojo and looked at each other before Ranma took a breath and pushed the gate open, muttering quietly.

"Welcome home."


	14. Chapter 14

**_Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a while._**

It was with great reluctance that Ranma opened the main door leading to the dojo. He and Akane took their time taking their shoes off and entering the main house, hoping their presence hadn't been noticed yet.

"Here goes," Akane whispered, sliding the door into the house open and walking through, Ranma following after letting out a deep breath.

"Ranma!" He winced slightly at Kasumi's high-pitched tone, never having heard it reach that level, or her voice sounding different to his new ears. But then Akane, Inuyasha nor Kagome had sounded any different so he guessed it was just her. "Akane!"

"Hey, Kasumi," Ranma gave her a small smile as she rounded on them, Akane giving her a small wave, looking slightly terrified.

She stood in front of the two of them, her hands on her hips as her eyes narrowed. She was clearly trying to see if anything had happened between the two teens on their trip. How she thought she'd know was beyond either of them but they knew without question, that they were being examined.

"When Father told me that the two of you had gone on a training trip alone, I didn't believe him. But then when you didn't come home and I found some of your things missing, I realised he was right." She sounded disappointed at the two of them. "I just can't believe you two would do that."

"Kasumi, can we explain, please?" Ranma held up his hands, trying to think of a way out of having, who was essentially the Tendo matriarch pissed at them. Kasumi may be quiet, proper and unassuming but if she was upset with you, she could hit you where it hurt.

Akane shot him a look, wondering what the hell he was going to tell Kasumi. He had said he didn't want anyone at the dojo to know about his new hanyou status, so he must have had something up his sleeve. Right?

"Hmm," she narrowed her eyes before stepping aside to let the teenagers pass. They saw that Soun and Genma were sitting by the open door, just as they usually did, cheating each other at a game of shogi. _At least something's never change_ , Ranma thought wryly as the two men glanced at Ranma and Akane as they walked into the main room.

Kasumi had them sit down at the table, watching them closely. The two of them made sure to sit their usual distance apart, acting as though nothing had changed in their relationship. They didn't want their fathers to have the knowledge that they had gotten closer in their absence from the dojo.

They'd never shut up about getting them married if that happened.

"The truth is, Kasumi, we weren't alone on our trip," she raised an eyebrow not believing Ranma's words. _To be fair, he's telling the truth,_ Akane mused. _But how much of the truth will he tell?_ "A few weeks before our trip, Akane and I met some other martial artists and we got to talking with them. They mentioned that a few of them were going on a training trip and asked if we wanted to go. We talked about it and realised that it would be stupid to pass it and the opportunity to train with other people, up."

"But why say that it would be just the two of you?" Kasumi pressed, wondering, for the life of her, why they would be willing to put their reputations on the line like that. "Why not say that it was a group trip rather than just the two of you."

"Because we knew that if we said that, those two," Akane jabbed a thumb at the two eavesdropping fathers as she picked up where Ranma left off, picking up on his train of thought, "would either deem it as unnecessary or insist they join us. We knew that saying it was just the two of us, they would allow it because they would believe Ranma and I would get closer and be less resistant to their pushing to get married." Ranma nodded, smiling slightly to himself.

That was another thing that had come out of their stay at the shrine. The two of them were now very easily able to understand what the other was doing, whether it be something spoken or a movement. Their "trip" _had_ brought them closer. But they weren't going to let their fathers know that.

"We're sorry we didn't tell you the truth, Kasumi," Akane turned facing her sister, looking extremely apologetic, "but this was something we just couldn't pass up. Especially because those two are idiots." Kasumi frowned slightly at the insult towards their fathers but seemed mollified by their explanations.

"Okay," she said softly, looking between the two of them. "But in future, let me know the truth, even if you don't tell those two." The teens nodded, sighing in relief as their story sunk in. "Now, go and freshen up, the both of you. I'm about to start dinner."

The two of them left the room and grabbed their bags as quickly as they could and Kasumi sighed, watching them go.

"Kasumi," she turned to face her father as he looked at her, smacking Genma's hand as the other man attempted to cheat again, like he didn't do the same thing. "I don't appreciate you encouraging Akane to lie to me."

"Father, Mr Saotome, what you don't seem to understand is that the more you push for them to get married, the more they're going to push back and the less they're going to tell you." Kasumi stated sagely as she stood up. "I would suggest you stop doing such and leaving them to it."

"Kasumi, the uniting of the schools depends on Ranma and Akane getting married, that is all there is to it." Soun crossed his arms, looking back towards the board in front of him, seeing that some of the pieces had moved, Genma looking like the picture of innocence that he was not.

"And the more you push that idea on them, the more they're going to resist." Kasumi answered, both men turning to look at her. She had never spoken back to her father like that before, always quietly going along with what he had said. "Have you two ever thought that without your pushing, they may have drifted towards each other anyway? They're the same age, have the same interests and their personalities are extremely similar. It's not too far out to say they may have come together on their own without you two mentioning marriage at every turn."

She turned and stormed into the kitchen, leaving the two men staring after her. They were shocked at Kasumi's outburst or as much of an outburst as Kasumi could manage. It wasn't normal for the eldest Tendo daughter and the two of them realised that she was serious.

"Well, Soun, what do you intend to do?" Genma muttered, unaware of the heightened Inu-hanyou ears that had heard every word spoken since they had left the room, listening in from above them.

"Ranma and Akane must marry." Soun sat back, running a hand over his moustache and sitting back. "For the sake of the schools, that must happen." Genma nodded, pushing his glasses up his nose, ensuring that Kasumi had indeed left the room.

"If only they _had_ been alone on their training trip. We could be planning a wedding right now," he grumbled and Soun nodded.

Ranma scoffed softly in disgust, his invisible ears flicking as he tuned out the old men from downstairs.

"What is it?" Akane asked from where she sat beside him.

"Kasumi's just told our fathers off," Akane's eyebrows shot up, wondering why Kasumi would do something like that. It wouldn't have surprised her coming from Nabiki – well, apart from the fact that Nabiki would have stood up for them – but Kasumi was a completely different story. She may object to the way their fathers treated Ranma and Akane, making it clear that the only thing expected of the two of them was to get married and nothing more. "But as usual it made no difference."

"Not even coming from Kasumi?" Akane asked and he shook his head. "I wouldn't have thought it might have had some impact coming from her."

"Well, considering they're conspiring once again on how to get us married as quickly as possible, I can safely say, it did not." Akane groaned, not wanting to know what their fathers were trying to concoct between the two of them.

"Are you able to keep an ear out?" She asked, hopeful he would be able to overhear whatever they had planned. Or that he would be willing to do so. He looked sideways at her and she could practically see his ears flicking towards her indignantly. "It's in your best interest to know what's going on when it comes to those two as well."

He sniffed slightly before nodding. He couldn't deny that she had a point. She wanted to know what to prepare for when it came to Soun and Genma as much as he did. However woefully underprepared and ridiculous their father's schemes usually were, they were inconvenient and often turned out painful. With his heightened senses, Ranma would now be able to prepare for them.

They needed all the help they could get.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Ranma tensed in his sleep, his senses tingling at the edge of his awareness, alerting him that something was wrong. It had taken him a long while to get to sleep last night. While the sounds from Nerima when in the dojo were not overwhelming like they had been on their way back from Inuyasha's but the sounds surrounding the dojo were different and he was not accustomed to them. He was sure it would settle in time but it would be aggravating while it did.

He felt a presence stirring just outside his consciousness which pulled him awake suddenly, his eyes snapping open and his leg flying up and over, his foot connecting with something soft and heavy, throwing it out of the window above him.

He heard a yell, shaking his head as he sat up. He stood up and walked over to the window, seeing a very unhappy panda sitting in the koi pond. He scowled down at his father, slamming the window closed before grabbing his clothes and making his way to the bathroom.

Sinking into the furo, Ranma sighed, lifting his hand out and examining the ring on his finger. He looked towards his wrist, feeling the bracelet and knowing it was there but being unable to see it with the ring on. He couldn't risk taking the ring off anywhere in the dojo. There was always a risk of someone walking in on him.

After soaking for a while, he stepped out of the furo, drying himself off and dressing. He had managed to not get any water in his ears, for which he was immensely thankful. He hated the feeling.

Thinking back to the concealment spell, he knew that the fact his curse had been removed would be the first thing to be discovered. He didn't believe he would last to the end of the day without that knowledge coming out, especially if Happosai was around. It seemed he just attracted water when it came to his curse. Hopefully _that_ would have been removed as well.

He placed his tank and boxer he had been sleeping in into the laundry basket, making his way downstairs.

"Morning, Ranma," Nabiki called from where she was sat at the table with some kind of calculations in front of her, probably something Ranma didn't want to know about, "seems like you managed to get the panda this time."

"Hmm," he grunted, sitting down across from her, shooting a look at said panda who looked extremely put out that he had not succeeded in drenching his son that morning. It was the first time he had not been able to do as such and the fact that Ranma had been able to sense him coming grated on him. He was used to being able to get the drop on Ranma while he was sleeping but this morning he had failed. Maybe there was something the child had managed to learn on this training trip after all.

"Morning," Akane yawned slightly as she walked down the stairs, sitting next to Nabiki. "I heard someone get thrown into the koi pond this morning." She had heard the splash but hadn't looked out. Given the lack of shock at Ranma's lack of transformation upon hitting the cold water, she had guessed it was the elder Saotome that had gone flying.

"Uh-huh," Nabiki grinned over at the panda. "Ranma got the drop on his father this morning, so it was him that went flying."

"Wow," Akane sounded surprised and Ranma had to stifle his smirk. While convincing to the others, he saw straight through it. "Seems like our trip did some good."

"Yeah," Ranma agreed before thanking Kasumi as she set the breakfast tray in the centre of the table. The two fathers approached the table, settling in their usual places. Ranma couldn't help but compare the breakfast here to the way they had been spending breakfasts at the shrine, especially since Inuyasha's kids had turned up. In the dojo, there was silence as everyone ate yet at the shrine, there was always conversation and since Izumi, Kazuhiko and Masaru had turned up, it had certainly made mealtimes interesting.

He wondered whether the three would stick around now that he and Akane had left the shrine.

The meal continued in silence, Ranma occasionally defending his meal from his father's paws, moving with a speed the two fathers hadn't seen before. Akane pretended not to notice anything different with what was happening but she could see Kasumi and Nabiki had noticed.

Ranma stiffened, feeling a familiar aura approaching and not trusting it at all. He launched himself out of the way as a waterfall appeared where he had been sitting. He landed over the other side, behind Nabiki and Akane, staring at where Happosai was now standing scowling at him.

"Aw come on!" The old man grumbled, dropping the bucket, glaring at the young martial artist. "You haven't been here for weeks. The least ya can do is to appease an old man."

"An old pervert, ya mean?" Ranma stood up straight, glaring at the old man. "The water trick won't work anymore, old man." He turned to Kasumi with a small bow. "Thank you for breakfast." With that he shot another look at Happosai and left the room, walking out to the dojo.

"Grandfather Happosai, maybe you shouldn't aggravate Ranma so. It doesn't do well for the school if you anger him, I'm sure." Kasumi tried to reason with the diminutive man.

"Well, whether Ranma _does_ inherit the school remains to be seen." Happosai crossed his arms, closing his eyes.

"What do you mean, Master?" Soun and Genma looked to each other, worried. Ranma _had_ to inherit the school. For him to do so would mean that they would be able to live out their retirement in luxury while Ranma and Akane worked the dojo and supported them.

"It means that for Ranma to inherit the School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, I will need to see something spectacular from him. And I don't just mean his female forms _spectacular_ assets," he mused to himself and the girls narrowed their eyes at the old pervert. "I'm sure you can understand I don't want anyone who is below par to inherit my school."

"But . . . it _has_ to be Ranma and Akane." Soun sputtered, not wanting to believe his Master's words. He couldn't begin to think about what would happen if Happosai decided not to have Ranma inherit the school.

"That decision, as the Grandmaster of the school, is _mine_ ," Happosai glared at the other two in the room and both the man and the panda immediately threw themselves on the ground, not wanting to upset the tiny man.

The three girls said nothing, only one of them knowing that Ranma was now able to do even more spectacular things than he had before. She would allow the others to find out on their own. She didn't think it would take long for them to discover his lack of curse and the explanation for that would be interesting.

Happosai watched as the young man walked across the yard and towards the dojo, a plan hatching in his mind. He had gone too long without being able to fondle the assets of the young martial artists female form.

He _would_ get his hands on her.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Ranma had heard what Happosai had said about the possibility he wouldn't provide the permission for Ranma to inherit the school but thinking on it, he found it didn't bother him as much as it might have before meeting Inuyasha and Kagome. He was part of something else now. Something that was much bigger than the Tendo dojo.

He was Inu royalty. And while he may not be completely aware of what that entailed, he knew that its reach was much farther than that of the dojo. He was going to be around a lot longer than anyone else he knew. That was something that had popped into his mind over the last few weeks but he had not voiced his thoughts.

He would need to speak to Kagome or Inuyasha about it as he knew that they had had human friends that they had lost. They might be able to help him.

Ranma stayed in the dojo, meditating and practicing his kata for hours, managing to hold his hanyou strength in check, especially considering he knew Soun and Genma were sticking their heads in every so often. He felt them at the edge of his consciousness but ignored them. He hoped that controlling his strength and speed so as not to raise suspicions would come easier in time.

Kasumi interrupted him for lunch and during the meal, she told him that she wanted to take him, Akane and Nabiki to get some school supplies for when they went back next week. He nodded, not really wanting to go but he also had to go out into the world sometime. He couldn't just hide in the house because he didn't want to face the sounds and smells of Nerima.

It didn't take them long to get what they needed but to Ranma, every sound and scent around him was an overload. There were people all around them and many of them students enjoying the last week of summer, shouting at each other and making more noise than they needed to. There were also food carts and stalls, also making the most of the last of the busy time in the summer. The scents were driving Ranma crazy. Akane looked at him, slightly worried but she couldn't say anything without raising the suspicions of her sisters. She gave his hand a quick squeeze when he knew they weren't looking, shooting a small reassuring smile his way. He sighed, closing his eyes and trying to relax.

They managed to get in and out of the town without running into any of the undesirables that hung around. Ranma had been expecting at least one of them to come out of nowhere but he hadn't heard or sensed any of them near.

He couldn't say he was complaining.

"You realise that Happosai will probably have something rigged up for when you get back, right?" Akane said softly as they fell behind a little. Ranma nodded, having thought the same thing. "Maybe it would just be easier to get it over with." She suggested and Ranma sighed.

"It probably would be but I don't really want to have to explain about the curse being gone right now," Ranma sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"It's going to happen sometime," she shrugged and he shot her a look. "You have a story figured out?" She asked and he nodded. She wanted to ask what it was but they had reached Kasumi and Nabiki who were both watching them with slightly amused expressions.

He was kinda hoping to last at least one day without being soaked in freezing cold water.

He held the gate open for the sisters before walking through the gate himself. He cursed himself as he heard the "Wahoo!" from Happosai and wasn't able to move out of the way fast enough. He managed to dodge the majority of the water but he was still hit with the cold water.

He shook his head, letting out a breath before feeling Happosai attach himself to his chest, clearly not noticing the masculine form he was hugging onto.

"Um, Happosai?" Akane giggled while Kasumi and Nabiki stared open mouthed.

"Hn?" He glanced at Akane before looking at Ranma, seeing his distinctly _male_ form and face staring down at him, an eyebrow raised. "Wah!" He threw himself away from Ranma who was shaking his head, trying to get the water out of his hair. He had gotten a little in his left ear and he was not happy about it. And it didn't help that he couldn't do anything about it until he was out of everyone else's sight. "But, that was _cold_ water!" He wailed and Ranma smirked.

"Believe me, I know." Ranma chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Then why are you still a boy?" Nabiki asked, sounding shocked. Kasumi nodded and Akane giggled again.

"He managed to get rid of his curse while we were away." She grinned, winking at Ranma. He rolled his eyes, knowing that she had been right about Happosai. He had been hoping to at least get through _one_ day without it coming out that he was no longer cursed.

"But how?" Kasumi asked, shaking her head slightly at the sight in front of her. They had gotten so used to a small redhead appearing every so often and to know that they wouldn't see her again was a shock to the system. It made her a little sad. Even though she had always known that the girl was still Ranma, it was like they had lost someone in the family.

"Do you mind if we go inside before we explain. I'd like to dry off." Ranma suggested and they nodded, slowly turning and walking into the house, still dazed. Happosai was still wailing at the loss of Ranma's female form as they went inside.

Kasumi passed Ranma a towel and he immediately made to dry his hair, focusing on his left ear, unseen to the others but feeling the relief as the water cleared. He ran it over the rest of his hair, drying it as much as he could with the towel before settling the material around his shoulders, squeezing the water out of his pigtail while walking through the house and sitting down. He took the towel off and placed it on the ground next to him, having a feeling he would need it again soon.

"What are you going to tell them?" Akane whispered so lowly that no one else heard as they walked into the room. He looked to her mouthing " _Kagome_ " and she blinked, wondering what that meant.

"So . . ." Kasumi placed a tray of tea on the table in front of them. "Are you going to explain now." She had caught the attention of Soun and Genma, who was now back in his human form as they sat on the veranda. "Ranma no longer has his curse."

"What!"

"How?!"

Ranma flinched at the sound levels that came from the two men and Akane could imagine his ears creasing back in discomfort.

"Tell me how you managed it, boy!" Genma growled threateningly, his fist clenching as though Ranma would be afraid of what he would do if he didn't find out straight away.

"If you stop talking, then I will," he shot back, freezing up and sputtering as another torrent of water came from behind him. He shook his head, wiping his face as he turned and glared at the person behind him, revealing Soun standing there with an upside-down bucket which was still dripping. "What the hell was that for?" He snapped and Soun shrieked a little.

"I . . . I had to make sure . . ." he sputtered, stepping back quickly.

"Are ya sure now?" Ranma grabbed the towel and began to dry himself again. Soun squeaked again before running out of arms reach. He shook his head, glaring at Soun before sighing gently. "There was a miko on the training trip. She was able to see the curse on me and remove it. She was also able to see the Neko-ken, which apparently was known for _demon_ training." Ranma spat at his father. " _That's_ why all it did was mess me up, pops. It wasn't meant for humans."

"Ha! Like anyone believes in demons." Genma sniffed indignantly, crossing his arms and staring his son down. "I put you through that training for the good of the art. To make you stronger."

"And yet all it did was make me terrified of cats and lose control when around them!" Ranma shot back. "In what way, _Father,_ is that supposed to help me?!"

"How was I supposed to know what it would do?"

"You would have if you'd read the last goddamned page!" Ranma growled and Akane grew slightly worried. She heard the youkai side to him coming through and she knew he didn't want to reveal that side too soon. Once again, she realised that it would probably come out before long but she agreed with Ranma. They would have to hide it for as long as possible.

"An oversight." He waved his son off angering him further until he heard Akane's whispered " _Ranma, easy."_ He took a breath, closing his eyes and calming down slightly.

"Well, it's gone now. And the miko was not happy to find that it was my father that put me through that." Now _that_ was an understatement. Ranma remembered how both Kagome and Inuyasha had practically exploded. There was no way that Kagome would help Genma even if she knew how to remove the curse.

"Where does this miko live, boy?" He asked and Ranma shrugged as though he didn't know.

"She didn't say. Only that it was to the north." He picked up his tea cup, taking a sip. "There aren't too many true miko's around these days, other than shrine miko's that is."

Genma growled at Ranma's words but realised he wouldn't get anything more out of his son. He either truly didn't know where the woman lived or wouldn't tell him and he knew from experience that when Ranma had a secret, he clammed up tighter than a vault.

He would have to figure out another way of getting the information he required.

Kasumi and Nabiki however were more interested in how Ranma felt now that he didn't have to worry about turning into a girl whenever it rained. Kasumi voiced her thoughts on never seeing the girl again and Akane understood. She had thought the same thing one night after Inuyasha had drenched Ranma. She would miss the small redhead but she was able to push it aside when she saw how happy it made Ranma.

And Kasumi could see it as well. The grin on his face and the relief in his voice let her know how happy he was that the curse was gone. He wasn't worried about the others ganging up on him to tell him where the woman was because, as he stated, he didn't know.

Akane had to take a drink at that to hide her smile.

"Oh, Kuno will be so upset," Nabiki chimed in and Ranma laughed, remembering his conversation with Izumi the day before. "You know he'll never stop challenging you for the "pig-tailed goddess", right?"

"I know," Ranma shrugged, taking another sup of his tea, not really caring about the delusional Kuno. "Won't make her come back, though. He'll just have to make do with the pictures you gave him." Nabiki spluttered and he grinned, turning to face her. "You think I'm stupid, Nabiki. That I didn't realise you'd given him pictures of me? Be lucky I don't ask for a cut."

"Hm," Nabiki sat up straight, sipping her tea and Ranma chuckled.

None of them remembered Happosai, sat outside, still in shock that he would never again be able to fondle female Ranma's ample bosom or delicious behind. And that depressed him more than he would have thought.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Not too far away in the Nerima ward, a young man with long black hair tied back in a low ponytail entered the Nekohanten, looking around appreciatively.

"Nihao," he was greeted by a purple haired teen girl, her red eyes shining happily as she approached him. "Welcome to Cat Café, you like to take seat?" He nodded and she showed him to a table and took his order for some tea. He scanned the menu, focusing his enhanced hearing to the kitchens behind him.

"Now, now, great-granddaughter, I need you here for the moment." He heard a croaky old woman's voice chiding someone in the back.

"But great-grandmother," it was the young girl that had just seated him, "Ranma back. Must go and see, Airen."

 _So,_ the young man thought, _this is the Amazonian teenager after my nephew._ His father had mentioned her after Ranma had gone to bed one evening, updating him and his siblings on the whole "fiancée" situation. It was then that they had decided one of them would keep an eye on the teen for a short while after he had gone back to the dojo. Just in case. _I can see why mother and father are a little worried. She seems persistent._

Shampoo was a little more subdued than she had been before, bringing out his tea and taking a food order. He ate in silence, keeping a concealed ear out to what was happening in the kitchen. He would need to know in case she left. He and his siblings had arranged to be near Ranma and to dig up as much information as they could on the others pursuing him. He had been placed on Shampoo reconnaissance, while his sister kept watch at the dojo and his brother went out in search of this Ukyo girl.

Masaru smiled to himself as he finished his meal and stood up, leaving the correct money on the table before thanking them and walking out of the café.

Keeping their nephew out of trouble was definitely going to be interesting.

And he couldn't wait.


	15. Chapter 15

**_Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a while._**

Kazuhiko sighed as he approached the restaurant owned by Ukyo Kuonji. According to Ranma, Ukyo's okonomiyaki was incredible but that was pretty much the only thing he had to say about that girl that was positive. He had explained to his uncle that he didn't want to lose the friendship he had built with the girl as a child but the way things were going, he didn't feel as though he had a choice but to let her go entirely.

Kazuhiko was also wary of the girls' animosity towards Akane. It was obvious to all of them that Ranma had claimed Akane as his, whether he had admitted to himself or her yet. His body language and attitude to those around her was telling enough. His inner Inu had claimed Akane and it wouldn't be willing to let her go.

Ranma had told the three of them how violent Ukyo, Shampoo and Kodachi could become when he turned them down, usually turning on Akane, blaming her for Ranma's constant rebuffs. If they went to attack Akane now, things would end badly for all of them.

Their father had said that they were not to engage unless absolutely necessary and while the three of them were keeping their eyes on the main players, they hadn't worked out how they were going to get around when Ranma and Akane were at school.

He walked into _Ucchan's_ hearing the slight tinkling of the bell the door closed behind him and he looked around the small restaurant. There were two other people there, chatting quietly to each other while they worked their way through their okonomiyaki.

"Welcome to Ucchan's," he turned from his musings, seeing a teenage girl with long brown hair and a giant spatula across her back in front of her. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Tea, please," Kazuhiko smiled, knowing the girl for who she was. She looked unassuming but from what Ranma and Akane had told them, Hiko knew that she was not to be underestimated. He had heard that the spatula she wore was used as a weapon and quite adeptly as he had heard it.

Not that it would stand a chance against Ranma now.

He had to smirk at the thought. That she was here, completely content – at least, she _appeared_ that way – told him that she didn't know he was back at the dojo. He hadn't heard anything from Izumi or Masaru so he had to assume that the others hadn't either.

She brought him out the tea he had ordered before taking his okonomiyaki order. He was pleased that she was in full view as she cooked. He subtly watched her out of the corner of his eye as he sat there, having purposely seated himself so she was in his direct line of sight.

It didn't take long for her to bring out his order and he had to admit, Ranma had been right. She was a fantastic cook. Unfortunately, that didn't redeem her in the hanyou's eyes. Her pursuit of Ranma was enough to turn him off her, her attitude towards Ranma and her dismissal of his refusal to marry her grated on Kazuhiko.

He started slightly as the door slammed open and a teenage girl with purple hair stormed into the restaurant, looking upset at something.

"You knew!" She screeched out at the chef who looked just as confused as the customers. "You knew Airen back!"

 _Airen_? Kazuhiko wondered before closing his eyes. "Masaru?" He whispered, ducking his head slightly so that his lips moving couldn't be seen.

"Hi, Hiko," his younger brother responded from outside the shop. "Seems they know nephew's back."

"Yeah," he whispered watching the two girls in front of him.

"Ranma-honey is back?" Ukyo's eyes lit up as Shampoo fumed, although the change in her posture showed that she realised Ukyo hadn't known Ranma was back. How Shampoo had found out, he wasn't sure but the cat – or rather _dog_ – was out of the bag.

"Back two days now," she still glowered at the chef who immediately turned the stoves off and practically ran out of the shop. Kazuhiko watched her go before slowly getting up, leaving the payment for the meal on the table and following. Masaru wasn't in direct sight but he could see that Ukyo was quickly retreating from view. He blinked, his invisible ears creasing as Shampoo flew past him on her bike, quickly catching up to Ukyo.

"Methinks we should meet up with Izumi," Kazuhiko suggested as Masaru walked over to him. The two of them looked at each other before walking down the road, keeping an eye and an ear out for the people around before taking off at a run, quickly becoming blurs to the regular human eye.

"Izumi," Masaru called out as they approached the dojo, joining her in the tree she was currently sat in. "We got incoming."

"Well, _this_ should be fun," Izumi grinned and Kazuhiko had to smile at the image of their father he saw in his older sister in that moment as they continued their watch on the Tendo dojo, knowing the shitstorm that was about to come.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

 _Rubbing the bridge of his nose as he walked down the vast hallways from the meeting hall with the old codgers that made up Sesshomaru's council, Inuyasha let out a sigh of frustration. He didn't know how many more of those he could handle before he just said, "fuck it" and used Tessaiga on all of the old farts._

 _Unfortunately, as Sesshomaru and Rin had not had a male pup, he was still the heir to the Western Lands. Considering Rin had had a difficult pregnancy and had nearly not made it through the labour, Sesshomaru would be hesitant to have another pup. If they didn't have a son, Inuyasha would remain as heir._

 _He sighed gently, stopping outside the door that led to his and Kagome's quarters. He smiled, hearing his mate shuffling on the bed._

 _He opened the door, walking into the rooms and closing it quietly behind him, hoping that she was in a good mood. While she may be human, she was still a miko and one that could be downright scary when she was pissed._

 _She rolled over to face him, a smile forming on her lips as she saw him standing there in his formal dress, clothes he hated mind you. He would much rather be in his fire-rat but with the changing times, their clothing had to change too. Not too much considering they were holed up within the Western Fortress which could not be found unless you were guided or knew where it was._

" _Hello, love," Inuyasha whispered softly, walking over and sitting down on the side of the bed, his hand running over her swollen belly. It would not be long before she gave birth to their fourth pup. She had told him, under no uncertain terms that this would be the last. He agreed without any hesitation. Their first three were enough of a handful and this one had not been planned at all. If she had been, they would have waited until Masaru was a little older than he was, what with only being sixty-four, he was still very much a pup._

" _How are you feeling today?" He asked, his hand still gently rubbing her belly while he looked down at his mate in awe at what he body was doing._

" _Well, little lady hasn't made mama sick today, so better than yesterday." She grinned and Inuyasha smiled. He rested an ear against Kagome's sizeable bump, smiling as he heard the sound of his pup's heartbeat going strong. The two of them had been extremely happy when they had been able to discern the scent and find out that Kagome was expecting another female pup. It was something that made Izumi happy and the boys grumble, not wanting another sister._

" _Have you decided which name you like best?" Kagome asked and Inuyasha smiled, nodding. They had decided that since Kagome had named Masaru – while Izumi and Kazuhiko had been picked by the both of them together – Inuyasha would get to decide the name of their last pup. "Well?"_

" _Honoka," he whispered and Kagome grinned._

 _Honoka . . ._

Ranma gasped, sitting up as he snapped out of the restless sleep he had been engulfed in. He rubbed his head, wondering what the hell had just run through his mind. He pulled his knees up, resting his elbows on his knees, he worked to get his breathing under control. He glanced towards his father, seeing the panda passed out and snoring next to him. He rolled his eyes as he stood up, walking over to the window and sliding it open, leaning out into the warm night.

He climbed out of the window and nimbly jumped onto the roof, sitting up and watching the night sky. He lay back, resting his hands underneath his head. He tried to sort out what he had just seen in his mind. Why would he have been dreaming about Kagome expecting Honoka? And why would it have been from Inuyasha's perspective rather than watching it like an observer. It was as though _he_ was Inuyasha.

Unless . . . unless it had been a memory. Inuyasha had had to infuse his youkai into Ranma to pull Ranma's youki from where it had been buried within his blood. Maybe that connection had left something lingering in Ranma's mind.

He would need to ask Inuyasha and Kagome about it.

He ended up thinking about it for over an hour before heading back inside and drifting off again. Thankfully, there were no more dreams and other than a repeat from the last few days, Ranma slept undisturbed.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Ranma walked down the stairs, feeling a little off, slightly sluggish as he sat down at the table. Akane gave him a concerned look but he shook his head, indicating that he would be fine. He resolved to meditate during the day and practise his kata. Akane had also asked him for help refining her stances and he readily agreed. Since they had been at the shrine, Akane had been more willing to ask for help and accept criticism from Ranma when he did aid her.

Nobody else seemed to notice that he was slightly off throughout breakfast before making his way to the bathroom, sinking down into the furo. He couldn't keep his mind off the dream he had had during the night before. Why had he dreamt of Kagome expecting Honoka? Could it be because he was a direct descendant from her? Could it be that Inuyasha's youki had left some memories in Ranma's blood when it had pulled his own youki back into the forefront?

He had to ask Inuyasha about it.

Feeling better after his soak, he stood up, stretching out before drying himself off and getting dressed. He made his way down to the dojo seeing Akane already stretching out. He smiled to himself as he watched her, seeing how focused she had become recently. She had been determined before but since they had been at the shrine, there was a new level to her. She was taking herself more seriously and that pleased Ranma. She hadn't had anyone properly train her for years, her father giving up after their mother had died. That hadn't been fair to Akane and that had been one of the reasons Ranma wasn't too fond of Soun Tendo. He wanted the two of them to take over the school but he hadn't even bothered to continue to train his daughter, too caught up in himself to bother.

It was the same reason Kasumi had had to take over the household. It hadn't been fair to them and Ranma had a slight animosity towards the older man. While he was grateful for the lodgings since they had come to Nerima, he couldn't change the way he felt about the man.

The two teens worked together, Ranma helping Akane when he felt she needed it but she was improving greatly on her own.

"Oh, Ran-ma," his invisible ear twitched as he heard Izumi call out her voice playful as she practically sang his name. "You're about to have com-pa-ny." Why did she sound so amused by this?

He closed his eyes, letting out a sigh as he stood straight, drawing Akane's attention. "What is it?"

"Izumi," he said softly. "Telling me we have visitors."

"Really?" Akane groaned and he nodded.

"She sounds far to amused by this." He grumbled hearing the other two laughing as well. "And Hiko and Mas are with her as well."

Akane thought for a moment. "Where are they coming from?"

She saw Ranma's head tilt slightly as he listened to the response, unsurprised the Inu's had heard her question. "Ucchan's."

"Go," she gestured towards the door and he raised his eyebrows at her, surprised. "I'll cover for you."

"Why?"

"Honestly, I don't want to see what could happen if things go the way they normally do." She sighed and he understood. "You're still acclimating to being back in Nerima. Your senses are still on overload from everything we've been sheltered from at the shrine. It's too soon to deal with them."

"But Aka-"

"Just go!" She pointed towards the door and Ranma held up his hands, backing out of the door and quickly leaving the dojo. He located where the other hanyou's were, finding them in a tree not too far away. He leapt up, joining Kazuhiko on his branch, ignoring his uncle's smirk.

"You got a spitfire there," he chuckled and Ranma rolled his eyes as he settled on the branch.

"Tell me about it." He murmured, his eyes and ears falling on the dojo. He tensed as he saw Shampoo and Ukyo sneak in over the back wall, obviously aware that they would not be allowed into the Tendo household.

Akane however was ready for them, waiting at the door of the dojo, trusting mallet in hand. Ranma felt his invisible ears flatten against his hair at the sight of the thing. Even though she hadn't used it against him since the time she had whacked him, leading him to his new family and promised that she would never use it against him again, the thing still set him on edge.

He knew the damage she could cause with it.

"Where, Airen?" Shampoo demanded, stopping in front of Akane, her stance ready for a fight and Ranma felt his muscles tense at the threat. Kazuhiko placed a hand on Ranma's arm, shaking his head. He was ready to intercept the younger hanyou if necessary. If something happened between the girls, he knew Ranma would flip his shit and that would not be pretty.

Izumi glanced at the two of them, the muscles in her legs tensing, ready to aid her brother if need be.

"Ranma's not here," Akane responded calmly, leaning against the mallet, raising an eyebrow. "Kasumi sent him into town for some groceries. He won't be back for a while."

Ranma smirked at the lie that fell so easily from Akane's lips. He should have felt slightly guilty that she had pretty much learned that for him but he really didn't. Not when it meant that he didn't have to deal with the two of them.

Akane had been right. He wouldn't have been able to deal with them. His hearing alone would have caused him issues with Shampoo's shrill tone when she yelled, flinging herself at him and Ukyo's persistence at calling him "honey". She had been right to tell him to get lost for the moment.

"You okay?" Hiko whispered softly and he "hmm'ed" in response, his attention fully on what was unfolding in front of him. Shampoo and Ukyo were not happy with Akane's response and were getting riled up.

"Look, once again, the two of you are trespassing! You're not wanted here! When are you going to get that through your thick heads?" Akane was getting angry and Ranma let out a harsh breath through his nose, not noticing Kazuhiko edging closer to him as he watched what was happening below. "You're not welcome here!"

"Then why doesn't Ranma-honey tell us that, hmm?" Ukyo sounded smug and Ranma growled softly.

"Because Ranma sees you as a friend, Ukyo. He doesn't want to lose that friendship with you." Akane voice had softened as she answered the girl. "If you don't let this whole fiancée thing go, you're going to lose him completely. He doesn't _want_ to be told who he has to get married to. He doesn't _want_ to get married because he feels like he _has_ to. Like everyone else, he wants to get married because _he_ wants to and _he_ wants to choose when and who he gets married to. _Ranma_ didn't make that promise and he didn't break it. His father did. Just like he did with mine. None of this is Ranma's fault and it's not fair that you force what _you_ want on him. To do so, makes you no better than his father."

"Just trying to get me out of the way so you can have him, huh?" She crossed her arms but Ranma could see her hand itching towards her spatula and he let out another growl.

"Like I said, Ranma didn't have a choice what his father did and I didn't have a choice in what my father did." Akane shrugged, gripping her mallet once again. She had also noticed the twitch of Ukyo's fingers. "If all he wants his friendship, then that's what I'll take. And you should extend the same courtesy, Ukyo. Otherwise, like I said, you're gonna lose Ranma forever."

Ukyo's hand relaxed as she listened to Akane. Ranma was surprised that she was actually listening to her. He would have expected Ukyo to argue more but then again, a lot had surprised him over the last few weeks.

"Hm, Airen don't want Spatula girl or nasty-pervert girl," Shampoo sniffed and Akane glared at her.

"What is it gonna take you to realise that Ranma doesn't want you, Shampoo? The only times Ranma has ever shown any interest in you is when you've given him some kind of potion. You have to _drug_ him to get him to pay you any attention," Akane's grip tightened on her mallet as she took in the Amazon in front of her. She knew that Shampoo was a formidable opponent but she didn't care. With Ukyo, Ranma saw her as a friend and he didn't want to lose that with her and Akane could understand that. He had moved around so much as a child, having a friend was something that was rare for him. Of course, Genma had to ruin it because of his stomach but that was purely Genma. He had no concern for others around him.

Akane could understand that he wanted to keep Ukyo as a friend. She had been his first friend and she understood the importance of that.

"Ranma is _not_ an Amazon and your tribal laws have nothing to do with him. Apart from the fact that you _knocked yourself out with your own weapon!_ " Akane fumed, noticing that Shampoo started to turn red at Akane's words. "You have no right to try and force Ranma to do anything he doesn't want to. He's told you no but you refuse to listen! And believe me, there is no way you will be getting him to go to China with you."

"Airen has to go," Shampoo turned her nose up, not heeding Akane's words. "Is tribal law."

Akane's head dropped into her hand as she gave up with the Amazon. Maybe she would introduce Shampoo to Izumi. See how she liked facing off with an Inu.

"Get off my property." Akane propped her mallet on her shoulder, walking towards the house, a ballsy move as it put her back to the two intruders.

"Want to see Airen!" Shampoo demanded once again before Kasumi flung the side door open, glaring at the two girls in front of her.

"As Akane has said, Ranma is not here. I sent him into town. Now, I would like for you to leave. If you wish to come back, use the _front gate_ ," she glared at the two of them and they glared right back. Akane stopped next to her. While Ukyo and Shampoo had no qualms about attacking Akane, Kasumi wasn't a martial artist. No matter how much they wanted to go for Akane, the honour they both held would not allow them to risk an innocent person getting hurt. They would leave for now. Ranma would be back at some point and he couldn't avoid them forever.

Ukyo smirked because she had class with him and he couldn't hide from her there.

"Kasumi, how did yo-"

"The window is open," Kasumi gestured towards the window closest to the dojo and Akane noticed that it was wide open. "I heard you saying that I had sent Ranma into town for groceries. Though I'm wondering why you covered for him rather than let him deal with them himself."

Akane sighed, knowing that Ranma would be able to hear everything she was about to say. Damn his new ears. She gestured for Kasumi to sit down, sliding the door closed, checking that no one else was around. "Ranma and I talked a lot while we were away." She said softly and Kasumi tilted her head slightly, intrigued. "He explained to me how fighting with them makes him feel. That's how I knew how he felt towards Ukyo. He doesn't want to lose her as a friend but if she doesn't stop he's going to have to. He admitted that its really been stressing him out and we've been back barely a day. I know that I haven't made it easy for him and I guess it's kinda my way of trying to make it up to him a little. I know I won't be able to keep them away from him but if I can provide just a _little_ reprieve, that's better than nothing, right."

Kasumi ran her fingers through her little sister's hair, smiling softly at her. "I'm surprised that Ranma let you do that for him."

"Well, he didn't have a choice," she patted the mallet and Kasumi's eyebrows shot up. "I wouldn't have hit him with it but he didn't know that." She smirked and Kasumi could see that her sister had changed while she had been away.

"Where is he?"

"Oh, I'm sure he's hanging around somewhere." Akane smirked, knowing that he was definitely within hearing distance, although for an Inu-hanyou that could be anywhere within half a mile or so. "Probably waiting for the coast to be clear."

Kasumi gave her sister another smile before standing and walking back into the house. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed the change in her sister. Akane had started to change before she and Ranma had left on their trip but in the short time they had been home she had noticed a real change in both of them.

Their fathers hadn't noticed it but the two of them _had_ become closer over their trip. They hid it well but Kasumi had picked up on the subtleties between the teenagers. It seemed that what she had said to hers and Ranma's father was correct. They didn't need their kind of encouragement.

Ranma made sure that the coast was clear of all crazy "fiancée's" before bidding farewell Izumi – Kazuhiko and Masaru having taken off over their respective quarries – and jumping down from the tree. He walked over to where Akane was sitting, taking a seat beside her.

"Thank you, Akane," he said softly and she smiled at him.

"Don't mention it." She giggled. "So, did they have to restrain you?"

"Hiko had a tight grip, I'll tell you that much," he murmured, rubbing his arm. Though it didn't hurt and there was no mark, the memory of Kazuhiko having to hold him in his tight grip worried Ranma. Was he _that_ much of a risk? He had hoped not but apparently his uncle didn't agree.

Akane and Ranma sat there for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. Akane knew that she had to make her own decision. What she had said was true. If all she could have from Ranma was friendship then she would take it but she had learned to Kagome that Ranma's behaviour towards her indicated that he had other feelings towards her and it would be up to her whether she accepted his advances.

She also worried about what would happen at school when they went back. They would no doubt be faced with the hentai horde and Kuno. She knew that Izumi was hanging around so she would see if she could speak to her without Ranma finding out.

Ranma had remembered that Inuyasha and Kagome were expecting him to go to the Autumn Gathering that was happening in just over a month. He didn't know how he was going to get around that one. They had explained that because of who he was he had to attend and that it would last for a week as it always did. He had to try and come up with something to tell everyone as to why he wasn't going to be around.

He also wouldn't be allowed to bring Akane. As the two of them weren't mated and she as she was human, she wouldn't be permitted. Kagome had enquired with Sesshomaru but he had been stern about that. While she would be a good grounding tool as it were for Ranma, there would be too much risk. There would no doubt be youkai there that would seek to take advantage of the young hanyou and attempt to force their daughters on him. They had tried with Inuyasha and Kagome's children and Sesshomaru's own pup. Inuyasha had stated point blank that he would not allow that to happen to Ranma and Sesshomaru had made it known that no advances were to be made on the youngest Inu. That he was still a pup and any advances would be seen as an affront to the brothers.

"Are you okay?" Akane asked and Ranma snapped out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, I guess so." He sighed and Akane nodded. "Thinking about the Autumn Gathering."

"What about it?" Akane pulled her knees up and rested her chin on her knees, wrapping her arms around her legs.

"What I'm gonna say."

"I dunno," she hadn't thought about it beyond that she couldn't go with him. She understood that he had to go. She didn't like it but she understood.

"My secret's not gonna stay secret too much longer, is it?" He sighed and Akane shrugged, unable to give him a proper answer. She didn't know. She had no doubt that he could come up with a story. Whether it would be believable or not was a different question but Ranma always managed to get himself out of sticky situations.

He sighed to himself before standing up and turning towards the house. "Thank you again, Akane."

"You're welcome, Ranma," she said softly as he walked into the house. She looked around quickly, waiting until he was further away. "Izumi." Her voice was barely more than a whisper but the female hanyou was by her side in a moment. "I need to talk to you." Izumi nodded, holding out her hand before lifting Akane up with ease and the two of them disappeared in a moment.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Ranma had panicked momentarily when he realised that Akane was gone, scenting another youkai around. It had taken less than a second to identify Izumi's scent before he relaxed. Akane probably needed to talk about some girly stuff and didn't want Ranma overhearing.

He shuddered lightly, not wanting to know.

He stopped as he heard shuffling in Akane's room, knowing that Akane was _not_ in there. Their fathers had gone to the bathhouse and Nabiki was out with friends, enjoying one of the last days of summer. Kasumi was in the kitchen doing whatever it was that Kasumi did all day. I swear, how she managed to cook so much, Ranma never knew but her cooking was amazing so he wasn't going to complain.

He opened the door to Akane's room, a familiar scent washing over him. A growl formed in his throat, planning on dealing with him once and for all.

He gripped the doorframe, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, wanting to get a lock on where the dirty little pig was. He opened his eyes, his gaze narrowing down beside Akane's desk. He dashed towards the desk, hearing the squeal from the pig and grabbing him before he could make a getaway. He gripped the squealing pig by the neck and not just the bandana. He had learned that lesson the hard way, having had the tiny thing slip out of the material. Grabbing Ryoga in both hands, he marched towards the bathroom and he somehow managed to flip the sign to occupied with the pig in his hands before he started to fill the furo with hot water.

Once it was half filled he threw the squealing pig in, glaring at the sputtering teen boy that appeared in the tub before him.

"Ranma, I'll-"

"You know what you're gonna do, Ryoga?" Ranma snarled, hearing the growl in his voice as his new vocal chords went to work. "You're gonna leave and you're not gonna come back. Not as Ryoga, not as P-Chan, neither. Or else, I'm gonna have a barbeque."

"What are you talking about?" Ryoga smirked as he sat there, finding something in Ranma's words amusing. "I've been training while I've been searching for you. I will defeat you, Ranma." He stood up with his last words, his complete nakedness clearly not registering in his mind. Ranma was slightly disturbed by this. "And besides, Akane _loves_ P-Chan. I doubt she'd want him to disappear."

Another growl ripped from Ranma and Ryoga's eyes widened at the sound, echoing off of the tiled walls of the bathroom.

Any thought that Ranma had had of concealing his new true form from Ryoga was thrown to the wind with his words against Akane. While he may have felt loyal to the words he had spoken when he'd thought Ryoga was a dog but he wasn't going to sit back and allow him to take advantage of Akane anymore. He had been wrong to let it go on for so long as it was but his instincts were screaming to rid himself of the pest in front of him.

He gripped the ring on his finger, sliding it off and watching Ryoga's eyes widen as he took in Ranma's appearance. He knew that the change in his eyes, the ears and the colours in his hair, the claws that tipped his fingers were noticed by the young man. He snarled, his canines showing and Ryoga stepped backwards, slipping and landing on his backside in the furo as Ranma walked up to him.

He grabbed Ryoga around the throat, his claws digging into his flesh slightly. Not hard enough to break skin but enough to make a point.

"You . . . will stay away from Akane," Ranma growled, the low rumble coming from his chest rather than his throat. "If I catch a hint of your scent around the dojo after today, I _will_ destroy you. Understood?"

Ryoga nodded as much as he could, his mind still trying to wrap around the fact that Ranma was now something completely different. There was no way that he could be completely human. Not looking like that. He would need to get some answers.

But first he had to get away from him!

Ranma let him go and Ryoga moved with a speed he didn't realise he had in him, miraculously managing to find his way out of the house without making a wrong turn. He would chalk it up to being completely freaking out.

Ranma sighed as he slid the ring back on, shaking his head as he let the water out. He wondered what Ryoga would do with the knowledge he now had. He wouldn't worry about it.

It wasn't as though it would say secret forever, after all.


	16. Chapter 16

**_Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a while._**

Inuyasha sighed as he once again felt the youki of Kouga within the shrine limits. At least he was alone this time and Ranma wasn't here. He didn't need Kouga going off while Ranma was here. The kid was still getting used to his enhanced senses and was still skittish. Kouga was brash and loud and wouldn't be good for Ranma to handle right now.

Maybe in a few months he would let Ranma loose but for the moment he wanted the ookami away from his descendant.

He walked out of the front of the house, waiting for Kouga to breach the steps. Kouga's human appearance wasn't too different from his youkai appearance. His eye and hair colour were common among the human populace. All that needed to be hidden with Kouga were his tell-tale fangs, claws and his pointed ears.

Being the middle of the day, there were visitors to the shrine so neither of them could behave how they normally would.

Inuyasha nodded towards the house as Kouga approached turning and heading into the house. He didn't need to know that the ookami was following him. Even if he hadn't been able to feel his youki behind him, he knew the youkai wanted answers and he wouldn't want to pass up the opportunity.

"Don't need to ask why you're here," Inuyasha closed the door behind Kouga, watching as the other youkai slipped his shoes off, raising his eyebrows at Inuyasha, earning himself a smirk.

Kouga had been to the shrine before and knew where the main sitting room was. Inuyasha made some tea for the two of them as the ookami settled onto one of the cushions provided. Inuyasha placed the tray on the table, settling in his usual seat while Kouga sat opposite to him. He wouldn't sit to Inuyasha's right, knowing that that was Kagome's seat and he would have been able to scent Ranma on the one to his left, this cushion having become the young hanyou's usual seat. Inuyasha didn't want his young (as he saw him) pup too far from him. Having Ranma back at the dojo, when everything inside him was screaming to grab him and bring him back to the shrine or hide him away in the fortress, was driving his instincts insane.

"First I want to apologise for Saburou's behaviour the last time we were here." Kouga admitted and Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at him. An apology was not something Kouga gave lightly. "He was not instructed to attack you or your family."

"I understand that," Inuyasha's ears flattened slightly, thinking back to the moment Izumi had appeared, the ookami tight in her grip. "But that does not negate the fact that had Izumi not appeared when she did, he may have attempted to attack the pup. And you know what that would have led to, Kouga."

"I can assure you, he has been punished." Kouga growled, looking extremely unhappy with the thought. "Ayame thought that I was being too extreme with him but I assured her that it was necessary. She still wasn't happy even after I explained what had almost happened but she accepted it. She's not my biggest fan at the moment."

Inuyasha had to smirk at the thought. He had been in the same boat when it came to discipline of the pups when they had gotten out of hand. Kagome had not agreed with some of his methods as they were growing up, even after both he and Sesshomaru had assured her that it was necessary and usual behaviour for Inu's. Inuyasha didn't ask what punishment he had given Saburou. Behaviours within each youkai species and clans were their own and kept within their respective breeds.

Inuyasha poured the tea, deeming it brewed enough for the two of them, handing a cup to Kouga. He couldn't help but be amused by the thought that if, five hundred years ago, if someone had to told him that he would one day be sitting, civilly drinking tea with _Kouga_ , he would have lopped their head off with Tessaiga while laughing hysterically at the absurdity.

"So, you found him, then?" Kouga asked, setting his cup down and levelling his gaze on Inuyasha. "The pup."

"Yeah, we did." Inuyasha laced his fingers in front of him, resting his elbows on the table. He pressed his lips against his fingers, letting out a sigh. "We should never have had to go looking for him."

"What happened to him?" Kouga kept his voice level, having seen Inuyasha's protectiveness over his pups more than once.

"His father took him when he was two years old." Inuyasha murmured softly. "It was during the week of the Autumn Gathering. When we got back they were just . . . gone. Travelled around, martial arts training, never settling for too long. Practically impossible to find. I came across him by chance. He'd been hurt and was down by the canal. I knew by his scent that it was him."

"How did he take being told that he was actually hanyou?"

"How do you think?" Inuyasha snorted, taking a drink of his tea. "He freaked out."

"But he came back."

"Yeah, he did." Inuyasha nodded, smiling to himself, remembering how pleased he had been when Ranma had turned up at the door after he had run off. He remembered thinking that it might have been too much for the teen after everything he had already been through.

"And he made the change."

Inuyasha nodded again, taking another sip of tea. "He's still adjusting and was still very instinctual when you turned up the first time, which was _not_ appreciated, thank you very much." Kouga smirked and shrugged, taking a drink. Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he shook his head. "He was unpredictable and skittish. He still is to be honest."

"Then where is he?" Kouga queried, knowing that Inuyasha wouldn't willingly let the pup out of his sight. When Izumi had been born, the Inu's had been fiercely protective and Kouga hadn't understood the level of defensiveness they had had around her. Sure, the ookami were protective of their own pups but he had never seen anything like Inuyasha and Sesshomaru has been at that moment. It wasn't until a few weeks after she had been born that Kouga had learned that she was the first Inu pup born since Inuyasha himself.

They had been the same with Kazuhiko, Masaru and Honoka and Kouga remembered what they had been like when they had had to leave Honoka, to save her life. He had never seen such devastation.

"Unfortunately, had to send him back home. He's still in school, which I'm not too pleased about and there would have been questions if he hadn't returned. In the eyes of the human world, he's still under the guardianship of his father." Inuyasha looked Kouga in the eye. "Again, something I'm not too pleased about."

"How come? Surely being with his parent would be the best for him."

"Usually, yes," Inuyasha sighed, running a hand through his hair. "However, Genma is _not_ what I would call a suitable parent. Ranma can handle him _now_ but when he was younger . . . If I'd come across them when Ranma was younger then . . . well, let's put it this way, Ranma would be safely tucked away in the fortress right now, human _or_ hanyou."

"I don't doubt that for a moment," Kouga smirked, knowing that the Inu-hanyou in front of him was completely serious. He could see that the hanyou restraining himself when it came to scooping the pup up and whisking him away to the fortress as it was. The humans wouldn't find them and by the time he'd be old enough to leave, any of the humans that would have been looking for him would be long gone. "How old is the pup, anyway?"

"Sixteen," Inuyasha sighed and Kouga's eyes bugged slightly. Having been around the Inu's when Inuyasha and Kagome had had their pups, he knew that usually they were still infants at that age. "It's only because he grew up human that he looks how he is. Youkai are going to assume that he's older and I gotta figure out how to get around that."

"I think pretty much everyone knows what happened. And that you've been looking for the missing pup for over a decade." Kouga shrugged as Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "It won't take long for news that you've found him to travel. Especially now that he's out there."

"I'm just glad I've got Izumi on him at the moment." Inuyasha sighed running a hand through his hair.

Kouga shivered a little, having been on the end of the hanyou's eldest pup's wrath before. "She'll look out for the kid. His scent's gonna be out there now. But . . . you gotta remember, it's gonna be the scent of an adolescent. And it's gonna stay that way for a long time."

Inuyasha sighed again, nodding before taking a sip of his tea. "You have a point there. I just . . . don't wanna let him out of my sight, ya know."

"I hear ya," Kouga studied the hanyou for a moment, seeing that Inuyasha was struggling with letting the teenager be so far away. His instincts had to be screaming at him right now. Kouga knew that in the human world, sixteen was almost an adult but then again, humans lived such fleeting lives, so short they were over in practically a blink for youkai. Inuyasha would have a long time for the pup to mature. "How do you reckon he's gonna age?"

"I have no idea," Inuyasha leaned back, shaking his head. "Nothing like this has ever been seen before. Sesshomaru thinks that he's not going to age until he reaches the equivalent in Inu age for his human maturity but . . . I don't know. I hope he's right but we'll just have to wait and see."

"So how come you're not a fan of the father?" Kouga finished his tea, pouring himself another cup, no pretext of being a guest lingering.

Inuyasha let out a growl that caused Kouga to pause momentarily and blink at him in surprise. He hadn't heard a sound like that come out of the hanyou in a long time. "Other than taking his child away from his mother at two years old? When Ranma was six his father put him through Neko-ken."

Kouga froze, his eyebrow's shooting up. He hadn't heard of the Neko-ken being used on humans for over a century.

"And the human is still alive?" Kouga sniffed, pissed on behalf of the hanyou. While there may be a lingering rivalry between the two, they had made their peace and their antagonising was (mostly) good natured between the two of them. Kouga could understand how Inuyasha was pissed at the pup's father after hearing that and wondered how Inuyasha hadn't torn the human's head off.

"Only because he means something to Ranma," Inuyasha grumbled, taking a sip of his own tea. "If that wasn't the case, he would have been dealt with when I first found out."

Kouga nodded but didn't say anything for a moment, seeing the barely controlled rage of the Inu in front of him. He had learned (the hard way) that when Inuyasha was that angry, you had to let him be until he calmed down. Or you were Kagome or one of his pups. They were the only ones that could get through to him.

"If you need me to get any of my pack to watch out for him, let me know." Kouga offered and Inuyasha nodded in thanks.

It had taken then a few years and both settling down for them to bury the hatchet. Winding each other up was still something they did for amusement but it lacked the bite it had previously. Of course, the fact that Kouga was happily mated to Ayame helped a lot with that but the fact that the two of them had matured in their own rights and helped each other out over the centuries had gone a long way.

Inuyasha had managed to help Kouga and his pack out in the aftermath of Nagasaki when the bomb had hit. While they hadn't lost any members from the nuclear weapon, it had been a close call and there had been some injuries. Thankfully, being youkai, they didn't have to worry about radiation or the like but it had still been a worrying time. There had been many pups with them when the bomb had hit. Inuyasha had seen to it that they had safe haven in the fortress to recover and ensure the pack was okay before moving on.

That had only been the latest of the courtesies extended between the two youkai.

Sesshomaru knew of and approved of the alliance, able to see advantages in the continued co-operation between the two. He was not about to stand in the way of the two of them.

"To be honest, the stories I've heard from him and Akane, he may well need it." Inuyasha chuckled, shaking his head.

"Akane?"

"The human girl who was here the last time," Kouga thought back, an image of a teenage girl with short hair popping into his mind. She, other than Kagome, had been the only human around so that must have been who Inuyasha was talking about. "She's been there for Ranma since the beginning. Kind of his confidant, as it were. She came here with him to help him. I have a feeling he'll probably want her for his mate before too long." Kouga's eyebrows shot up and Inuyasha shrugged. "Before a few weeks ago, Ranma was a human teenage boy. No doubt those hormones are still running rampant through him. He might not _be_ an adult in the eyes of a youkai but who's to say what the hell his body is telling him."

"True." Kouga nodded. While ookami were not as protective as Inu were over their pups, the pack did not allow any advances towards their pups for mating until they were a certain age. Kouga eyed Inuyasha for a moment, wondering how the hanyou was going to handle the Autumn Gathering with Ranma there. There was no doubt that there would be advances and offers for his hand. Inuyasha's eyes darkened when Kouga mentioned this to him which confused Kouga a little.

"Ranma will be the one to choose who he mates. I will not be the one to decide that for him." Inuyasha went on to explain the situation with the fiancée's to Kouga and the youkai was extremely confused and concerned about the younger hanyou with every word that came out of the Inu's mouth. "I currently have Hiko and Mas watching the chef and the Amazon and Izumi watching Ranma, so we're covered for now."

"Offer's still open," Kouga advised and Inuyasha nodded in understanding. He had no doubt the offer would be taken up at some point but for the moment they had their bases covered.

"Of it becomes too much or I feel like there's a threat to him there, I'll be pulling him out of that dojo to where I know he's safe."

"He won't like that,"

"He won't have a choice," Inuyasha looked towards Kouga who nodded, understanding what it was like dealing with unruly and confrontational pups from the perspective of both pack leader and father.

"He confronted you yet?" Kouga asked, helping himself to another cup of tea. If he had been told that he would eventually be living _inside_ and not constantly migrating from cave to cave, he would never have believed them. Yes, the ookami still had their annual migrations as instinct dictated but they had actual homes to live in and not just caves.

"Yup," Inuyasha passed him his cup and Kouga filled it for him, passing it back, "we knew it was coming. He knows his place now."

Kouga nodded, understanding. Even though the two of them would still vehemently deny it till they ran out of breath, they were extremely alike in their personalities. Kagome and Akane had reasoned that that was most likely why they clashed so often. Of course, this idea had been thrown around when their respective mates had been occupied elsewhere.

Inuyasha sighed before looking out the window his instincts telling him to leave the shrine and grab Ranma from the dojo. He had to trust the teen and tamper his instincts down though. Ranma knew himself well enough to know when he couldn't handle any more and would call for help when he needed it. It was going to be hard for the Inu's, knowing that he was only sixteen but had the mind and body of a hanyou that should be in his two hundred's.

Inuyasha knew that it wouldn't only be him with his instincts and mind at war over that conundrum.

They would just have to wait and see.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Ranma sighed as he walked into the main house, looking around and seeing no one there. He could hear Kasumi in the kitchen, as always, humming as she puttered around, probably getting started on some of the dishes for the next day. He could never understand how someone loved cooking as much as she did.

Or maybe it was just something she enjoyed doing because she was good at it.

He had yet to find someone as masterful in the kitchen as Kasumi.

He couldn't tell where his father and Soun were. Probably out causing some kind of havoc in one of the bars in the ward or causing a ruckus at the bathhouse as usual.

Nabiki he knew was out with some of her friends, for once not trying to swindle money out of him or someone else in the house. He had no doubt she was doing it to some poor unsuspecting soul but hey, if it kept her out of his pockets, he had no inclinations to get in her way.

Thankfully Happosai was nowhere to be seen. He had been inconsolable since he had found out that Ranma's female side no longer existed. Ranma had lost count of the amount of times the diminutive martial artist had dumped water over him in the last three days since he had first discovered the new truth. Hopefully, he had gotten the hint by now.

He could hear Akane in her room, the gentle creaking of the floorboards in her room belying her movements above him. He knew that it wouldn't be discernible to human ears but his advanced hearing picked it up without issues.

He looked out of the doorway, seeing the red of the sky as the sun went down, his forehead creasing slightly as he noticed the colours weren't as vibrant as usual, shaking his head, wondering if the stress of being back at the shrine was getting to him.

He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

He closed the door against the slight breeze coming through, latching it as he thought about having to go back to school in a few days. He had ventured into town once or twice, still finding the sounds and smells of everyday life in the Nerima ward overbearing but sticking it out nonetheless. Inuyasha had said that it would take time for his senses to adapt to the everyday human world and he had to hope with exposure the trips would become easier.

He sighed again as he walked through the house, ascending the stairs towards the room he shared with his father, stumbling slightly as a forceful shiver made its way through him. He felt his senses dull. His hearing diminished, the colours of the house seeming dull compared to moments before, his sense of smell almost gone. His breathing sped up as he panicked for a moment, his brain trying to catch up with what had happened before he blinked in realisation.

He was human again.

He practically ran up the rest of the stairs, stopping outside Akane's room, looking at the innocent yellow duck with her name on it, knocking in what he hoped was a calm way before belatedly realising he was starting to panic slightly.

She opened the door, her face forming into a frown as she took in Ranma in front of her.

"What's wrong?" She glanced down the hallway, noting that there was no one around before grabbing his hand and pulling him inside. She knew that they would get in trouble if he was found in her room but the look on his face made her realise, she didn't care.

"It's happened," he said softly and she felt her brow furrow in confusion. The two of them sat on the floor as Ranma tried to steady himself. It had only been a short time since he had become a hanyou but he had become used to what that had entailed.

His breathing increased as he pulled off the concealment ring and Akane gasped, looking to the window quickly, realising the curtains were open and should anyone look in at that moment they would see Ranma in hanyou form. Except, when she looked back at him, she realised that there was no change. The ring was in his hand but he still looked the same.

"You're human," she whispered and he nodded. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," he answered softly, looking down at the ring. The ring which hid away who he was now to the rest of the world but in that moment, was completely useless. "I mean, I don't feel different to how I did when I _was_ human but . . . it's still weird."

"You've become used to your new senses. It's only natural that you would feel strange when that changes." Ranma nodded at her words, running a hand through his hair. He slid the ring back on, knowing that he would need its concealment once his hanyou powers and features came back. "Hang on a moment," Akane walked to the window, looking out at the night sky. "It's the night of the new moon." She turned to look at the human-again Ranma whose eyes widened slightly. "The night Inuyasha mentioned." He nodded, standing up again.

"I need to call Inuyasha," Akane nodded, watching as he walked out of the door and back downstairs. She hoped that no one was around to notice that he had come out of her bedroom, knowing they would both be in trouble if they had.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Kagome watched Inuyasha as he talked on the phone, knowing that it was Ranma on the other end. She looked towards her three human children, seeing the grumpy looks the three of them sported. They, much like their father, hated the night of the new moon, feeling their youkai side bleeding away, if only temporarily. They were vulnerable and they hated it. It was the only night she now truly worried about her children. They were strong enough to look after themselves. Masaru was still considered a pup, an adolescent at most and would be for another forty years or so but he could still hold his own, as he had had to a few times. The only reason Inuyasha let him out of his sight was because he was always with his siblings or under the watchful eye of his uncle.

If that hadn't been the case, then he would have been at the shrine with his parents.

"Ranma's human," Inuyasha said softly, sitting down next to Kagome, his long black hair pooling around him.

"How's he doing?" Izumi asked, looking slightly worried.

"A little disoriented but he seems okay." Inuyasha said softly, recognising his daughter's worry. "He'll be okay. You gotta remember, he was human for sixteen years. He's used to how he feels now. He's not like us, only human for a night a month. He's an accomplished and strong martial artist even when he's human. He'll be okay."

"You're not worried about him," Inuyasha looked towards Kazuhiko and Masaru, who looked so much like their mother when human. All three of them did. When she was in hanyou form, Izumi was the spitting image of her father but when she was human, she looked exactly like her mother, which always made Inuyasha smile.

"Of course I am," Inuyasha countered and Izumi's brow furrowed a little at the contradiction. "But I also know that this is what Ranma knows. It's not foreign to him like it is to us. We were all born with our hanyou abilities, strengths and senses and its disorienting to say the least when we lose them like we do. Ranma doesn't have that. He said that while it was a little disorienting at first, it wasn't as bad as he thought it was gonna be. And he has Akane there. He'll be fine."

Izumi smirked at the mention of Akane and Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You think they're gonna get their act together."

"I hope they figure _something_ out," Kagome whispered softly, leaning against Inuyasha. "It's only going to end badly otherwise."

Inuyasha could only nod as he willed the night to progress as quickly as possible.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Ranma glanced at Akane as they walked towards the school. They had been back at the shrine for a week and the day had dawned that they had to walk back to the dreaded building. Ranma had started up his habit of walking along the fence tops, trying to get Akane to join him, rolling his eyes as she protested, claiming that people would look up her skirt, still arguing when he suggested wearing something underneath.

Akane had to admit, she was slightly pleased that he was falling into old habits. One thing she had been worried about when he had undergone his transformation was that they would lose some of what made him Ranma. She smiled to herself as she thought about how he was essentially himself but a hanyou instead of human.

She had to admit, she had been a little worried about him on the night of the new moon. They had spent it together on the roof, both laying there curled up in sleeping bags as they waited for the sun to rise. She had just been dozing off as the first light of the sun had been lighting the sky, her eyes snapping open as she had felt a pulse of energy coming from Ranma, who had sat up straight. He had taken off the ring as he seemed to pulse again and Akane watched in amazement as his hanyou features reappeared.

She had blinked in surprise when his ears had disappeared, the dog ears she had become used to while at the shrine, appearing on top of his head, the tiny spots of silver appearing pink in the dawn. He had looked down at her with such a look of relief that she had wrapped her arms around him, thankful that it _had_ only been for one night.

And now they knew when it was, they could prepare for it.

Ranma sighed as the school came into sight, seeing the hentai crowd forming as they always did before school let out.

"Hey Akane," he jumped down and walked next to her as they approached the school gates.

"Yeah," she turned to look at him, slightly worried about how he would react.

"Mind if I try something? I really don't wanna deal with these guys," he sighed and she looked between them and him. She could practically see his ears flattened onto his head even through the concealment spell.

"Uh, okay," she said unsurely, letting out a squeal as he grabbed her, spinning her onto his back, ensuring that her skirt was tucked underneath his arms and wouldn't fly up before setting off at a sprint but not towards the gate. He aimed for the wall, launching himself up and landing lightly before his powerful legs launched the both of them over the entire crowd and he landed deftly in front of the doors to the school, leaving the boys crowded in front of them confused.

"Ranma Saotome!" The two of them looked at each other, Akane still on Ranma's back, as they heard Kuno's voice not too far away. Ranma turned, seeing Kuno's bokken about a foot away from his face. He released Akane and she slid off his back, ensuring her skirts covered everything they were supposed to as she stood slightly behind Ranma. "Unhand the beauteous Akane and the pig-tailed girl at once!"

"Uh," Ranma looked at Akane, who shrugged wondering if Kuno could actually _see_ that Akane was no longer on Ranma's back and they knew not to even bother with the reference towards Ranma's female form. Kuno was oblivious to the fact that they had been one and the same and they had no intentions of informing him of the truth.

Ranma saw the moment Kuno made to make a move against him. He raised an eyebrow at Akane who gave him a go-ahead gesture.

Seeing Kuno readying to make his ever-predictable strike, Ranma quickly got inside his guard and drove a knuckle into his temple, too quick for anyone to see anything other than Ranma stepping away and Kuno toppling over unconscious. Ranma turned away and walked with Akane into the school, leaving everyone standing there, wondering what had happened.

Everyone other than a suspicious Nabiki whose eagle eyes had picked up a speed Ranma hadn't had before. He had been fast, yes, but there had been something different about him since he'd gotten back from his and Akane's trip.

She would need to keep an eye on him.

But what _she_ wasn't aware of was the set of amber eyes keeping an eye on _her_. Izumi's eyes narrowed as she studied the middle Tendo child. She had heard how nosey the girl could be and that she would stop at nothing to get the information she wanted. She also wasn't too pleased with the fact that she had sold the completely unimpressive Kuno photographs of her nephew while he had been in his cursed form.

Yes, the female Inu's opinion of the human was low indeed.

"Hey, sis," she turned to see Masaru settling on the branch next to her, her eyebrow raising.

"What are you doing here?"

"Ukyo Is in Ranma's class," she nodded in understanding and the two of them made their way to a perch where they would be able to see the class clearly. "That was an impressive move he made this morning."

"Hmm," she nodded keeping an eye out for Ranma and Akane. "Lets just hope it wasn't too out of the ordinary."

"From what I've heard 'ordinary' would be ploughing straight through them rather than avoiding them all completely." Masaru chuckled and Izumi smirked. "He made the better decision. He headed off his instincts before they could be tested."

"That's true," Izumi shifted, settling into a new position. "Who knows what could have happened if they had taken them on."

The Inu siblings looked towards each other, wondering what was in store for them as the day progressed. They had been made aware that Ranma's life was interesting but now they both had a front row seat.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Ryoga wandered through Nerima, his mind elsewhere as he thought back to the previous week in the bathroom of the Tendo dojo.

Demon!

He had come to that conclusion not long after he had stopped running, his heart slowing down and his breathing becoming less harsh. He had started walking again paying no attention to where he had been going. Not that it mattered anyway. He would only end up lost once more.

He couldn't shake the image of Ranma in the bathroom. His eyes. His fangs (far more impressive than Ryoga's which he hated to admit, even to himself). The change in the colour of his hair. The new ears and the claws that tipped his fingers where there had been nails before. There had also been a shift in his aura. There was something different about it. Something that Ryoga hadn't been able to put his finger on before it had suddenly clicked in his mind.

Demon.

He had to be.

Ryoga stopped, causing an angry yell from a woman that had been walking behind him, falling on deaf ears. He looked around to see that he had come to the Nekohanten and wandered inside.

"Welcome to Neko- oh, is you lost boy," Ryoga frowned at Shampoo's words as he sat down. "You want drink?"

"Uh, yeah," she nodded and turned towards the kitchen and he had to wonder why he'd come in here.

"Ah, Ryoga," he heard the raspy voice of Cologne as she hopped towards him on her staff. He had to wonder how she did that without toppling over but also reasoned that he probably wouldn't get a straight answer. "What brings you to our little café?"

He shrugged, not really having a reason for coming inside other than it was somewhere he knew and if he was somewhere he knew then he _wasn't_ lost. Which was a novelty for him.

"You see Airen, yes?" Shampoo asked, placing a cup of tea in front of him, looking at him expectantly.

"Uh," it took him a moment to realise that she was talking about Ranma and he felt himself go pale at the reminder of the amber eyes, claws and fangs he had seen on the other martial artist.

"Shampoo," Cologne noticed the change in Ryoga immediately, her interest in what had the young man so spooked so quickly piqued, "I need you to pick up some things from the market. There's a list in the kitchens."

"Yes, Grandmother," Shampoo sighed, walking solemnly into the kitchens and out the backdoor of the café.

It hadn't been a _complete_ ruse. There _were_ some things that Cologne needed from the market. They weren't urgent but she needed Shampoo out of the way for a little while. Based on his reaction, she could see that Ryoga's last interaction with Ranma hadn't been their usual insults and fisticuffs. Something had scared the boy in front of her and she had a feeling it had to do with Ranma.

"What happened, boy?" She stood in front of him, balancing on her staff as she always did, watching him closely.

"What do you mean?" he whimpered, turning his head to look at her.

"Something happened between you and Ranma," she leaned towards him and he whimpered again. "I want to know what it was."

She stared at him for a moment and he tried to match her gaze before he broke down and told her exactly what had happened. He told her about being in Akane's room as P-chan – to which he got a disapproving look. While she was not a fan of Akane (seeing her as an obstacle to Shampoo and Ranma being together) Ryoga deceiving the girl was not something she approved of. He told her about Ranma coming into the room, grabbing him and he paused before telling her about what had happened after that. She had no reaction as he described the change that happened to Ranma in the bathroom. She didn't flinch as he described his eyes, the claws and fangs and his ears.

"Hmmm," Cologne watched Ryoga as he finished, the panicked look in his eye as he waited for her to probably laugh or call him crazy.

"What?"

"It seems we have youkai in Nerima."


	17. Chapter 17

**_Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while._**

 _Izumi rolled her eyes at her brothers as they squabbled over something across the room from her. She had stopped paying attention when Mas had thrown an apple at Hiko, unwilling to be drawn into her brother's quarrels. She had enough of her own with Masaru as it was. Little git always knew how to wind her up. Her parents had tried to quell the mischievous side of him but it hadn't made much of a difference. Especially now that they no longer lived at the fortress._

 _Not even their uncle had been able to tame the mischief maker that was Masaru._

 _So they had given up._

 _She looked up as their uncle walked into the room, a serious look on his face. Kazuhiko and Masaru noticed their uncle's entrance and settled at the new presence in the room. He didn't acknowledge his niece or nephews as he sat at one of the tables not far from where Izumi was._

" _Uncle Sesshomaru," Izumi stood, walking over towards where the older Inu sat, stopping as his eyes flicked towards her. "Is everything okay, Uncle Sesshomaru?"_

 _He let out a small sigh through his nose, looking towards the three Inu-hanyou's that belonged to his little brother. "Your mother and father have come across a development in Tokyo."_

" _Is everything okay?"_ That _got Masaru and Kazuhiko's attention quickly and the two of them quickly flanked their sister, wanting to know of any news concerning their parents. "Are they-"_

 _Sesshomaru held up a hand, silencing any questions the three of them may have. "Your parents are just fine." The three of them relaxed a little but none of them moved from where they were standing, wanting to know what was happening with their parents. "They have found Honoka's descendant."_

 _Izumi's eyes widened as a small gasp fell from her lips. They'd found him. After fourteen years of searching, he'd been found._

" _Wh- How? Where?"_

" _He lives in Tokyo however, your father told me that he has spent his life travelling with his father. That is why they have been so hard to find." Sesshomaru looked between the three again, not having to wonder what was going through their minds. He could see that they wanted nothing more than to rush to Tokyo to find their new relative, to meet him but Sesshomaru had to nip that in the bud before the thought fully formed. "He does not yet know of his heritage or bloodline. Your parents will want him to be aware of who he is before introducing him to anyone else."_

" _When will that be?" Masaru, ever the impatient one of the trio, piped up, wanting to know when they could meet their nephew._

" _When your mother and father deem it the right time," Sesshomaru looked towards the three of them and they stared back, all three of them looking exactly like his little brother in that moment. "And you are_ not _to go to Tokyo before the boy is aware of who and what he is. Understood?"_

 _They looked at each other before nodding and mumbling their understanding of their uncle's words._

 _The three of them sat there after their uncle left, wondering what would happen now that their long lost great-nephew had been found._

 _They wanted to know what he was like, how he was going to take learning that he was actually a descendant of one of the greatest Daiyoukai ever to walk the earth and how he was going to react to learning he had the chance to become a hanyou, living up to that great bloodline._

 _And none of them could wait to meet him._

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Cologne mused over what she had learned from Ryoga. She hadn't come into contact with any youkai in nearly a hundred years and would have thought that she would be able to identify them should they come close.

But if they were in Nerima, that instinct was being questioned.

She wondered about what Ryoga had described. He had mentioned amber eyes, fangs, claws but what concerned Cologne the most was the mention of the ears that sat perched on top of his head. She didn't know how Ranma could become a youkai or whether it was even possible. She had heard the stories of a human becoming a hanyou but the stories had never really been confirmed. The stories had filtered into their secluded tribe but none of them had actually ventured to see if they were true.

She could only hope that the stories were just that.

But Ryoga's fear. _That_ had been real. Whatever he had seen, whatever Ranma had shown him, he had been terrified and Cologne had no doubt that Ryoga would not be going anywhere near the Tendo dojo again.

Unless he got lost again.

She had to think about what to do. Ranma, as far as she was concerned, belonged to Shampoo. Her great granddaughter was bound by the laws of the tribe and as such was Ranma. He _would_ be coming back to China with them and they would _not_ be giving up.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

"I think we're gonna need to keep an eye on the Amazon's grandmother," Kazuhiko advised his father as he walked through the door. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at his son, wondering what he meant. "Yesterday, that boy that Ranma chased out ended up at their café. I overheard them talking about Ranma before I left to follow the girl."

"She knows he's hanyou," Inuyasha grumbled, running a hand through his hair.

"She suspects, at least." He sighed, watching as his father walked through the house. He followed him out onto the back deck, wondering what was running through his father's head. "What do we do?"

"There's not much we _can_ do," he shook his head, feeling agitated. While he couldn't fault Ranma for what he had done, knowing that he had been far more restrained than Inuyasha would have been in letting him leave, he had to grumble at Ranma revealing his hanyou identity.

"From what I can tell, these people are surrounded by such weird stuff anyway, the thought of youkai wouldn't seem like too much of a stretch for them." Hiko shrugged, leaning against the wall behind him.

"These are the ones that want to take Ranma back to China because of their laws, aren't they?" Inuyasha mused, not really asking, more confirming.

Hiko nodded, humming lightly. "And they seem pretty determined about it too."

Inuyasha snorted, smirking darkly. "They can _try_. If they couldn't get Ranma to do it before, there's no way they're going to now. Not only has his strength and speed increased but his instincts to remain near family will override anything else. There's no way he'll be going with them."

"Now, how to get them to realise that?"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, shrugging lightly. "Could always set Sesshomaru on them." He mused and Kazuhiko laughed.

"You'd be _that_ cruel?"

Inuyasha turned to his son, a glint in his eye. "Maybe not. But its something to keep in our back pocket." The two of them laughed, looking and sounding as much father and son as they were.

Kagome walked into the room behind them, part of her wondering what they were laughing about and in equal part, not sure she wanted to know.

She shook her head, leaving the two of them to it.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Ranma didn't know how long he could keep this up. He had to keep himself restrained throughout the day to ensure that no one realised there was something different about him. While he could use the "training trip" he and Akane had been on as an excuse for any increased speed or strength, he still had to be careful.

And it was draining him.

Akane had noticed as well and was trying to keep him as upbeat as possible but she wasn't sure how much she was actually helping.

Kagome had reassured her when she'd called that it was a journey Ranma had to travel mostly alone but to know that she was there would be a comfort to him. She had been there when Inuyasha had first entered his full youkai side. He had had to come to terms with the change on his own but she had ensured that he knew she was there, offering what comfort she could.

Akane just had to believe that that would be enough for Ranma.

Ranma knew that Akane was feeling frustrated with him but he couldn't help how he was feeling. He was feeling eyes on him at all times but he knew that it was Izumi. While he understood why his aunt was following him, he found it frustrating. It was like they didn't trust him, which he understood but he wanted some time without being watched.

And the thought that there were going to be so many more eyes on him in a couple of weeks was stressing him out more than a little. Who knew what they were expecting? He didn't have any idea what was going to happen at the Autumn Gathering. He hadn't even figured out what he was going to say to people when he had to disappear for a week.

His life had become complete chaos the last few weeks and he had no one to blame but himself.

He was the one that had chosen to become hanyou.

He couldn't change that now.

He was going to have to learn to deal with it. From what he had learned from his new family, he knew that he had centuries to figure it out.

"Hey kid," he turned, seeing Inuyasha standing not too far away from him, concealment firmly in place. He hadn't expected that he had been able to sneak off, not that he had put a lot of effort into it. "How you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Ranma sat up from where he had been laying back in the grass by the canal.

Inuyasha let out a breath, sitting down next to him. "Izumi's noticed you've not really been yourself the last couple of days." He turned to look at him. "She's a little worried."

"So, she came to Daddy," Ranma mumbled and Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at him.

"Hey, don't be like that," he shook his head, looking back over at the water in front of them. "She's worried and none of us really know what we're doing here. Nothing like this has been done before so we're all flying blind. We're trying to look out for you." He placed a hand on Ranma's shoulder, squeezing lightly. "You may think that we're being overbearing but it's not gonna be forever. Just while we figure out how you're gonna settle."

Ranma sighed, nodding. He leaned over, resting his head on his great-grandfather's shoulder, making the Inu smile a little. He had to have been tired to allow himself to relax while out in the open, especially with someone that was supposed to be practically a stranger.

What Ranma didn't notice, but Inuyasha very much did was that they were being watched. He didn't know where it was coming from but he felt the gaze on the two of them, remembering Hiko's words from the day before. He had to reason that it was the Amazon's great grandmother, the old Amazon that was trying to push to have Ranma go back to China with them. Whether she believed that he was youkai – probably not coming to the thought of hanyou – remained to be seen but he knew that there was something going through her mind.

Maybe he would have to pay a visit to the Nekohanten soon.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

As it turned out, it was three days later, Inuyasha made his way into the Nekohanten, followed by Kagome. They shared a glance as they sat down, a teenager wearing an oversized shirt just about being able to make it to their table.

"Mousse!" The teen startled and the couple turned at the sharp voice, wondering who that was. Inuyasha squeezed Kagome's hand as the diminutive Amazon woman made her way towards them on her cane. Kagome had to admit, her sense of balance was impressive. "Go back into the kitchens. I'll serve our customers."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at his mate, who was fully aware that the woman in front of them had been watching them since Ryoga had spoken to her. They knew that coming in here would put them even more on her radar but teasing her was going to be oh so much fun.

Once the teen – Mousse – had disappeared back into the kitchens, she balanced on her cane and looked to the two sat at the table in front of her. She didn't say anything and they looked at each other, wondering what she was doing.

"Um, hello?" Kagome said softly and Cologne's eyes snapped to her, narrowing slightly. She noticed the wedding bands on the fingers of the couple, noting how young they both were. She wondered if the young woman knew that her husband had been sat with Ranma on the canal a few days previous.

"Welcome to the Nekohanten." She announced as though she hadn't just stood there, immobile, staring at the two of them. "What can I get for you?"

"Um, two teas please." Inuyasha glanced at Kagome, hoping that his confused look was convincing enough. Apparently, it was as she hopped off into the kitchen to prepare their tea.

Inuyasha's invisible ears swivelled back, focusing on the kitchen as he heard the outside door open. He quickly deduced that it was Shampoo that had come in after delivering a takeout order.

" _What's the matter, Great-Grandmother?"_

" _We have two customer's that are suspicious."_

" _What you mean?"_ Inuyasha smirked slightly as the girl walked to the window hatch that they had to be able to see onto the customer's. " _Oh, that man from shrine."_

" _Shrine?"_

" _Mm-hm. When Shampoo look for Airen, found shrine. That man there."_

" _Hmm."_

The conversation stopped as Shampoo brought the tea out to the two of them and they gave her a food order. She looked down at Inuyasha, who pretended not to remember her and she walked off, glancing over her shoulder as she made her way back to the kitchen.

"Well," Inuyasha said softly as he picked up his tea, "she remembers me from the shrine."

"Oh dear," Kagome rolled her eyes picking up her own cup. Of course, Inuyasha would find this amusing. She had heard that Hiko had also ventured inside the café and she didn't doubt him. He was so much like his father, it was unbelievable. "What do they know?" She murmured, low enough so that no one else could hear.

"I don't think the teenagers know anything but according to the old woman, we're suspicious."

"We've been called worse."

"True." He grinned, putting his cup down as Kagome shook her head. He grabbed her hand, running his thumb over the ring on her finger. Even though he had called her his for the last five hundred years, the fact that she had chosen him at all still marvelled him sometimes. "I love you."

Kagome smiled, now used to Inuyasha's seemingly random professions and gripped her mate's hand. "I love you." He lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss on her knuckles as she smiled at him.

The two sat back as Shampoo approached with their food, having seen the scene between the two lovers, her mind imagining herself and Ranma being like that when he finally realised that they were supposed to be together.

Cologne wasn't as taken with the two of them as Shampoo was. She _knew_ there was something different about them but she hadn't felt anything out of the ordinary from either of them.

Their coming in here couldn't be a simple coincidence. There had to be something behind their actions. A little more investigation was warranted.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Ranma closed his eyes as he relaxed in the furo, feeling better than he had done before seeing Inuyasha. He understood why they were watching him and he couldn't blame him for it.

It wasn't _him_ they didn't trust. It was his instincts.

They were only there if they found his instincts were getting the better of him and would not interfere unless they felt absolutely necessary. Which, Inuyasha had explained, was why Izumi and Masaru hadn't intervened on that first day back at school when being confronted by Kuno. Upon hearing this, Ranma understood and found that after he had spoken to Inuyasha, he didn't mind knowing that they were there.

He stood up, climbing out of the furo and wrapped a towel around his waist. He wiped off the steam-covered mirror, looking at himself before glancing down at the ring. Did he risk taking it off? He shook his head, dismissing the idea.

He couldn't risk someone coming into the bathroom while was in there. Occupied sign up or not, it didn't stop people in this house. Hell, that had been the catalyst for the issues between he and Akane. Grabbing another towel, he dried his hair, avoiding his invisible ears and ensuring that he had gotten all the moisture that he could out. Another surprise was that his change appeared to have nullified the dragon's whisker he had consumed. Thankfully his hair no longer grew at astronomical speed. That being said, he still kept it tied back in the braid, using the dragon's whisker he had been given to control it. It was easier to contain it that way.

He dressed and made his way out of the bathroom and downstairs. He raised an eyebrow as he saw his father and Soun bowed over, cowering, before shaking his head at seeing Happosai standing in front of them. Happosai's attention was immediately on Ranma as the teen entered the room.

"And where do you think you're going?" The diminutive man turned, hands on his hips as Ranma looked down on him.

"To get some food," Ranma answered, turning towards the kitchen where Kasumi was, as always, making some form of delicacy. Making sure to keep out of her way, he grabbed some of the premade noodles, courtesy of Kasumi. She knew that they were a favourite of Ranma's and she always had some made for him. He had found it amusing that he had heard her threatening his father and Soun should they touch them.

Skilfully ignoring Kasumi's raised eyebrow, he didn't bother to heat them up, enjoying them either way. She didn't say anything to him, knowing that they would be gone before she could get the words out.

He took the bowl he had dished out for himself, sitting down at the table in the main room, ignoring Happosai's glare. He could hear the panicked whimpers of the father's as Happosai moved to stand on the table in front of Ranma.

"Yes?" Ranma asked offhandedly, aggravating the tiny martial arts master even further.

"There's something different about you, boy," Happosai's eyes narrowed as he stared down at the teen in front of him. There _was_ something about Ranma that had changed. The boy's confidence, while it had been high to begin with, had increased. There was something stronger about Ranma and Happosai wasn't sure that he liked it.

"You're just upset because dousing me with water doesn't do anything anymore." Ranma shrugged and Happosai grunted, his arms crossing as he looked away.

While Ranma was right and Happosai was going to miss the lustrous body of Ranma's female form, that was not what he had noticed. Since he and Akane had returned from their training trip, Ranma had increased in strength, speed, agility and his endurance. They had only been gone for three or four weeks. Happosai had never heard of anyone improving the way Ranma had in such a short amount of time.

But at the same time, that was something he wanted in the choice to inherit the Anything Goes School.

"You should show me some respect, boy." Happosai turned back to Ranma, seeing that he had finished his food and was standing up, taking the bowl with him. Happosai growled, his anger rising at the lack of acknowledgment from the teenage martial artist and launched himself at Ranma's retreating back, preparing to put the boy in his place. Improved he may be but Happosai was not the Grandmaster of the school for nothing.

Ranma, sensing the shift in the air behind him and hearing Happosai push himself off the table, turned. He internally smirked as his improved sight followed the line that the tiny man was taking, seeing what Inuyasha had seen when he had done the same to Kagome. Though instead of grabbing the man, he swung his arm around, hand fisted, catching Happosai mid-air, flinging him across the room with a single blow.

He smirked as Happosai struck the wall, turning back to the kitchen and washing out his bowl before placing it to dry and drying his hands on a towel. He walked back out into the main room, the three men still in the same position he had been before. Soun and Genma sat staring at Ranma and Happosai was clearly in shock. It had only been once in recent memory (he didn't count the episode with that awful patch Ranma had tricked onto him) that someone had been able to get him like that and that was when that couple had been at dinner.

He shivered once again at the memory of those electric blue eyes.

Happosai's eyes snapped open, staring at Ranma.

There was nothing outwardly different about the teen, remaining the same as he had been before he and Akane had gone on their trip. The grandmaster had to admit that he had become stronger and faster during their time away but that was not what was puzzling him.

There was something about the boy. Something that had changed within him. There was something different in his stance, more confident than it had been – which was saying something when it came to Ranma. The boy had always been confident in his own abilities.

What he had swirling round in his mind confused him. He couldn't reconcile the Ranma that he had come to know with the Ranma that had just intercepted his attack as though he were swatting a fly.

Those electric blue eyes flittered into his mind again.

This would need further investigation and a possible meeting between himself and the only other one he knew of that would have any idea of what was going on.

~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~I~R~

Happosai glanced around as he stopped outside of the Nekohanten, making sure that no one he knew saw that he was going in here. He had stated his distaste for Cologne before and he knew that being seen in front of her place of business would contradict that and he didn't want any questions.

He winced as the bells above the door rang, glaring at them as though they had caused him some kind of personal affront. He noticed that there were not any customers what with it being late in the evening. He guessed that they were just clearing up after the days business.

"Welcome to- Oh, nasty pervert man!" He looked towards Shampoo, seeing the anger on her face at his presence. He knew that the purple haired Amazon had no love of him but if he were being honest with himself, he had no love of her people.

"Hello, Shampoo," He held his chin up, trying to appear as dignified as possible. "I'm looking for your grandmother."

"Why? Why you want Great Grandmother?"

"Shampoo!" Happosai turned to look behind the teenager as the aforementioned crone appeared behind her, glaring at the tiny man in front of her. "What do you want now?"

He cleared his throat, crossing his arms in front of him. "I have something I wish to discuss with you. It concerns Ranma."

"Airen?" Shampoo's eyes lightened immediately at the mention of the teen martial artist. "What about Airen?"

"Shampoo," Cologne admonished once more, turning to Happosai. "You have noticed the change in the boy as well?" Happosai hummed in response, noting the old woman's hesitance with talking about Ranma in front of Shampoo.

"There is something different about him since he came back from his training trip. Something I cannot put my finger on." Cologne mirrored his hum, looking to her granddaughter who stared back. Even without words being exchanged, Cologne knew that there would be no removing the girl now that Ranma had been mentioned.

Though, if her suspicions were correct, Shampoo would find out sooner or later.

Cologne looked back to Happosai, seeing his gaze flicking between herself and her great granddaughter before explaining to the both of them what she had heard from Ryoga when he had dazedly wandered into the café the week before.

"Youkai?" Happosai breathed, his hand coming up to his chin as he thought about his interactions with the teenager since he had come back to the shrine. His mind flicked to earlier on that day when Ranma's fist had met his face, a phantom throb from where the contact had been made passing over his cheek. His mind also flicked back to the young man that had been sat at the Tendo's dinner table, hand clasped around his throat, eyes flashing electric blue as he held him nose to nose.

"That young man," Happosai mumbled and the two Amazon's watched him curiously. "Around two months ago, after Ranma and Akane had their nasty spat," Shampoo let out her version of a growl at the thought of Akane and Ranma together, "a young couple came to dinner at the dojo. The young man however, was not human."

"You believe they may have had some influence over Ranma?" Cologne queried and Happosai nodded. He was beginning to wonder what they had been up to on their training trip.

"Hmmmm . . ."

Sitting outside, Inuyasha and Kazuhiko smirked at each other. The older hanyou had known that it wouldn't be long before the diminutive man and tiny Amazon woman would realise they could help each other. From what they knew they were both at least a century old. Inuyasha had had Hiko and Mas swap their targets for the time being. Inuyasha wanted to make an entrance and he knew that while Masaru would have love to participate, his black hair wouldn't stand out as much as he wanted.

So he had sent the grumbling pup to watch over Ukyo with a biff around the ear and a stern look.

"Why don't we go and introduce ourselves?" Inuyasha smirked at his eldest son who just grinned back. They crossed the road and pushed the door open, the tinkling bells drawing the attention of the three inside. Inuyasha stepped forward while Kazuhiko flipped the sign on the door to closed.

"You!" Happosai pointed towards Inuyasha, his eyes narrowing as the hanyou approached.

"You shrine man!" Shampoo also recognised Inuyasha once again from the day she had lost Ranma.

"One way to put it," Inuyasha shrugged, tucking his hands into his pocket. "Though I must say, I'm not entirely sure I appreciate the way you're discussing my family as though he were your own."

Cologne and Happosai both narrowed their large eyes at Inuyasha's words while Shampoo was entirely confused. The only family Ranma had that she knew of was his stupid panda father. She hadn't heard anything of his mother.

Happosai knew all about Ranma's family. She had known his mother through Genma, having met the young woman when she had been expecting Ranma, wondering how Genma had managed to marry such a lovely female specimen. He knew that she had no siblings nor did her parents, therefore there were no other branches of that side of the family.

And the two young men in front of him were far too attractive to be from Genma's side of the family.

"You claim to be Ranma's family and yet I know for a fact that the boy _has_ no family other than his father." Happosai stated, feeling superior at his knowledge of the Saotome line.

Looking towards the man in front of him, he expected to see a falter in the smirk on his face but was not expecting that grin to widen. "Just goes to show that you don't everything about him."

"There is so much you don't know." Hiko muttered from behind his father, his own smirk firmly in place.

"What you all need to realise is that Ranma's life is his own. He does not belong to anybody but himself." Inuyasha's tone turned dark as he stepped forward, allowing his youki to filter out and envelope the three individuals in front of him. "And I will not allow anyone else to make his choices for him or try to claim him as their own."

"Ranma is bound by Amazon law to return to China," Cologne felt the demon aura float over her but tried not to let it show. She was an elder of the Joketsuzoku and she would not be cowed by some young upstart attempting to tell her what she was to do with the teen bound by her tribal laws.

"Ranma is _not_ an Amazon," Inuyasha growled and Kazuhiko placed a hand on his shoulder, sensing his father's temper rising. "And Ranma has expressed multiple times that he does not wish to travel to China. If he doesn't want to go then he won't be going."

"And who you to say so?" Shampoo moved towards him, not liking the man she had seen being so loving towards his wife when they had come into the café.

Inuyasha grinned, glancing back towards Kazuhiko before reaching for the ring on his right index finger and removing it, his youkai's slightly sadistic side relishing in the shock and slight fear as his and Kazuhiko's true appearances came to the fore. "My name is Inuyasha, son of Daiyoukai InuTaisho and heir to the Lordship of the House of the West." He slipped the ring into his pocket, freeing both hands should they be needed. "I also happen to be Ranma's ancestor."

Happosai and Cologne knew in that moment that any claim they thought they had on Ranma was null and void. He had already been claimed by the most prestigious dynasty of youkai known in history and they knew the species in front of them was the most possessive of any youkai to walk the earth.

 _Inu._


	18. Chapter 18

**_Disclaimer: I do not own either Ranma or Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi has that honour. I'm just borrowing them for a little while._**

Ranma shot up, chest heaving and sweat running down his face as he settled from the images that had been running through his head. They _had_ to be another of Inuyasha's memories.

But unlike the first time, these had not been calm and tranquil memories as they had been before. He had been in the dark, surrounded by rock in some kind of cavern, senses dulled as he tried to make out some kind of definition through the moonlight streaming in through a crack.

" _Is that really you as a mortal? You're as cute a human as you are a hanyou."_

He shook his head, trying to dispel the voice from his mind, the image of the person uttering them fluttering in front of him. He could remember the way he had licked his lips as the sight in front of him and licking blood off his sword. Ranma shuddered at the memory.

He stood up, glancing down at the snoring form of his father, knowing it would take nothing less than an earthquake to wake him. He quickly dressed before quietly moving through the house and slipping out to slip his shoes on and silently move out of the house, deftly jumping over the wall and pushing the muscles in his legs to rush through Nerima towards the shrine. He had to find out whether what he was seeing in his sleep were memories or his mind trying to torture him in his dreams.

He was thankful for his speed now, knowing that at the rate he was moving, no one would be able to detect that it was him, seeing nothing more than a blur or feeling nothing more than a wind if they so happened to be out at this hour.

He quickly found himself at the bottom of the steps to the shrine before bounding up in two powerful leaps.

Inuyasha stirred in his sleep, the feeling of approaching youkai pulling him out of his slumber. He sat up, his gaze falling to Kagome who was still sound asleep beside him. He carefully disentangled himself from his sleeping mate, grabbing a t-shirt and putting it on as he walked over to the window, seeing Ranma landing at the top of the steps.

He glanced back to Kagome before sliding the window open and silently leaping down into the courtyard, meeting Ranma halfway.

"What's up, kid?" Something had to be wrong for him to come to the shrine in the middle of the night. Ranma stilled at his question, looking a little nervous. "Come on in, kid. I'll make us some tea."

Ranma followed Inuyasha through the house, knowing the layout well by that point. He walked into the main room, slipping the concealment ring off his finger and sitting on the cushion which had pretty much become his at this point, waiting for Inuyasha to come through. It didn't take long for the hanyou to reappear, carrying a tray with a teapot and two cups on it.

"Gotta keep it down," he said as he sat down, placing the tray on the table. "Okaa, Gramps and Sota arrived home yesterday so they're all asleep. Kinda surprised Kagome didn't wake up though." He shrugged, pouring the tea. "So what's going on, kid?"

Ranma took a breath, sipping at the tea that had been placed in front of him before looking towards his ancestor who stared resolutely back. "I've been having dreams. Well . . . the last one was a nightmare."

"What about?" Inuyasha placed his cup in front of him, leaning forward.

"I think . . . when you released my youki . . . something . . . stayed behind."

"What do you mean?"

"The first dream I had was a couple of weeks ago. I meant to tell you about it but with being back at the dojo and school, I kinda forgot." He shrugged apologetically, earning a slightly reprimanding look from the hanyou across from him. "It was you and Kagome."

"What do you mean it was us?"

"Kagome was pregnant. With Honoka." He admitted and Inuyasha looked at him slightly alarmed. "It was like I was seeing it from your perspective. I don't know why. Like I said, I meant to tell you but I didn't get the chance."

"What else happened?" He asked, wondering how much of his life the teen had seen so far. There were some parts of it that he didn't want anyone else to know. Not even his children knew some of the things he and their mother had been through on their quest to destroy Naraku.

"You named her," Ranma whispered and Inuyasha closed his eyes, remembering the moment Ranma had been talking about. He remembered the tranquillity of the moment, sitting there with his mate able to sense his pup within her belly. He remembered having stayed with her in silence for a great length of time, just enjoying her company as they had done after she had come back through the well after the three long years she had been gone. In reality, their three year separation had been but a drop in the time they had had and would have together but at the time, to him, it felt never-ending.

Of course, that peace had been shattered by their three rowdy pups announcing their presence.

"I'm sorry," Ranma said softly, looking down at his hands, taking Inuyasha's silence as displeasure that he hadn't been told about the dream before. "I should have told you before."

Inuyasha sighed softly, sensing the pup's trepidation from where he sat. "It's alright, kid." Ranma didn't look convinced and Inuyasha knew that he would need to figure out how to reassure him. Ranma's instincts were probably screaming at him to not displease his Alpha and Inuyasha needed to ensure this was put across. He let out a soft bark and Ranma answered with a responding noise. He felt the teens tension ease a little but not enough for him to be pleased.

"You said you had more than one." Inuyasha needed to know what he had seen, what had made its way into Ranma's dreams. "What were the other ones?"

"Just one," Ranma swallowed and Inuyasha felt his curiosity pique even more. What had he seen? "Tonight." Inuyasha understood. What he had seen tonight had prompted him to come to the shrine tonight. It had to have been bad to unsettle the teen that much.

He explained what he had seen in the nightmare that had spooked him so much that he had come to the shrine. He described the cavern and his dulled senses, just about able to make out the definition around him as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He described the cruel voice that had chased him through the darkness, taking pleasure from the pain he was inflicting, yellow kimono standing out in the darkness as the individual followed him, licking the blood off of his blade.

" _Shit!"_ Ranma flinched as Inuyasha's youki flared, ducking slightly at the expression on the elder Inu's face. He was furious. Whether it was at what Ranma had seen or that he had seen it at all, Ranma didn't know but he knew that his Alpha was not happy.

 _Jakotsu._

Why did it have to be _Jakotsu_ that he kid saw?

Not even his own children knew the extent of what he and his group had been through at the hands of the Band of Seven, Jakotsu being the most disturbing of them all. Inuyasha hated thinking of how the spectre had become obsessed with him, the comments he had made disturbing him even now.

A low, painful whine pulled him out of his thoughts and his gaze flicked to Ranma, coming to his senses when he saw the pup hunched over, ears flattened to his head, a look of extreme discomfort on his face. Inuyasha took a breath, standing up and making his way over to Ranma quickly, trying to reign in his youki as he knelt down next to Ranma, knowing it was that that was disturbing him.

"Sssh," he wrapped his arms around Ranma, pulling him to him, rumbling low in his chest, threading his fingers through his hair, finding the base of one of his ears and rubbing gently. "It's okay. I'm not mad at you. I'm not mad at you."

"Yash?" He turned, seeing Kagome on the stairs, on the alert despite looking exhausted. Inuyasha cursed inwardly as he realised that his youki would have woken her up, even if Ranma's approach hadn't. "What's going on?" She moved quickly towards where he and Ranma were sat, placing a hand on the arm wrapped around Ranma.

"He's been having dreams," Inuyasha whispered softly. "Memories. _My_ memories."

"From your youki?" She said softly, her other hand coming to rest on Ranma's back as Inuyasha continued to try to sooth him, pulling his youki back in even further. He had to make sure the teen knew that it was not him that had Inuyasha riled up. He didn't want Ranma to be wary of confiding in him. "What did he see?"

"Daddy?" The two of them turned, seeing Izumi, Masaru and Kazuhiko standing in the doorway, watching the scene in sleepy confusion. "What's going on?"

Inuyasha looked to Kagome who met his eyes, seeing the pain in her mate's golden orbs. "He saw Jakotsu." His words were barely audible but Kagome stiffened, breathing in sharply through her nose.

"Go back to bed, you three." She stated simply and they looked at her in confusion.

"But Ma-"

"Go. Back. To. Bed." Inuyasha growled and the three of them stepped back, not having heard that tone coming from their father, directed at them. "Now!"

The three of them let out their own answering sniffs and snorts before turning and making their way back upstairs. The three of them shared the loft space of the Higurashi house when they were here, often curling up together in a mound of blankets and the furs Inuyasha had used with Ranma when he had changed, which made trying to find them in the morning an adventure in itself. The three of them were close and they would continue to sleep that way until they were mated.

Inuyasha nodded when he knew that the three of them were all the way upstairs and settled once again.

"He dreamed about Jakotsu?" Kagome enquired, her hand coming up to Inuyasha's cheek, her other hand rubbing Ranma's back as Inuyasha continued to express through his behaviour and consoling that it wasn't Ranma that he was upset with but with the contents of what he had seen in his sleep.

"If one can call it a 'dream'?" Inuyasha snorted, resting his cheek on top of Ranma's head. "He saw what happened at Mt Hakurei." Kagome sighed, closing her eyes. While she had not been there during Inuyasha's confrontation with Jakotsu at Mt Hakurei, he had told her about it and how much it had disturbed him. He had admitted to knowing that if Sango and Miroku hadn't managed to bring the barrier down at that moment, he would have met his end at the end of Jakotsu's twisting blade. "I lost control of my youki."

"I felt that." Kagome gave him a soft smile. "And so did our children by the looks of it."

"I hate that he saw that." Inuyasha whispered, burying his nose into Ranma's hair. "Unfortunately, his instincts are telling him that he's the one that I'm upset with." Inuyasha grit his teeth as he looked at his mate. "He came to me for understanding, to try and figure out what was happening and all he got was me exploding at him. No wonder he's freaking out."

"Poor guy," Kagome whispered, knowing that this was something Inuyasha had to deal with on his own. She pressed her lips to the top of Ranma's head, in between his still flattened ears and gave her mate a soft kiss before making her way upstairs.

Inuyasha ducked his head down, brushing his nose under Ranma's jaw, going with non-verbal reassurance over words. Ranma was reacting to the release of Inuyasha's youki more than anything else and he had the intuition that he would be more receptive to actions over words.

He knocked Ranma's head up, forcing the young hanyou to move, tucking his own chin over Ranma's shoulder, his rumbling continuing as they sat there. He clutched Ranma to him, feeling the teen relax against him. He had done the same to his pups when they had been upset when they were younger but he noticed that it was taking Ranma far longer to calm down than it had with them.

He mentally cursed Genma Saotome once again. He didn't doubt that the boy had had very little in the ways of comfort as he was growing up and quite possibly little to no physical contact that didn't include some form of training. No wonder he was closed off. He didn't _know_ what it was to receive comfort from family. His instincts as an Inu were warring against what he knew from growing up and Inuyasha fought the urge to growl in frustration once more.

"I'm sorry," he heard Ranma whisper gently and he pulled away, tucking the pup under his chin once more, his fingers once again massaging the base of Ranma's ear.

"No, kiddo." Inuyasha rumbled softly. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm not mad at you."

"But earlier-"

"Was a reaction to realising what it was that you had seen," Inuyasha sighed, looking down at Ranma, seeing the wariness in his descendant's glowing golden eyes. "I didn't control my reaction well. I should have. I'm sorry."

The doubt in Ranma's eyes dissipated slightly, his ears perking a little before flattening once more. Inuyasha's blast of youki had really unsettled him and Inuyasha knew it. It would take time for Ranma to realise that he was safe at the shrine and within the Inu family. It would take time for Ranma to realise that he wasn't alone any longer.

Ranma started slightly as he realised the sun was starting to rise and that he had to get back to the dojo. He started to move away but Inuyasha's grip tightened around him.

"You're not going anywhere, kid." Ranma looked up at him, curious, his head spinning as Kagome walked down the stairs. "You're all over the place. You're not going anywhere."

"How you doing?" Kagome settled down next to where they were sat as Inuyasha rested his chin on the teen's head between his dipped ears. The fact that his ears were still ducked down told her that he was not completely settled. She had seen Izumi like this after an attempted raid on the Fortress when she was a pup. A group of panther demons had decided that Sesshomaru instating Inuyasha as heir showed weakness and that the Fortress was ripe for the taking.

They had quickly learned that this was not the case.

Izumi had been shaken for a while, being a young pup at the time and while she had been safely tucked away with her mother while the Inu's and guards of the Fortress took care of the intruders, she had been able to pick up on the sounds and scents around her and had been desperate to get back to her father when he had reappeared. She had not wanted to let him go for a long time and Kagome could see the same kind of thing happening.

Kagome could see that intellectually, Ranma knew he should be going back to the dojo however she could see within him the same instincts she saw in Izumi all those years ago. He had been disturbed to his core, probably both by what he had seen in his sleep and Inuyasha's reaction to what he had seen. He wanted to be somewhere he felt safe.

The three of them started as the phone rang and Kagome quickly got up and answered it before it disturbed the rest of the household. They would be waking soon anyway but why rouse them earlier than they had to be.

"Hello?"

" _Kagome?"_ She winced as she heard Akane's panicked tone on the other end of the phone, knowing that Ranma would most likely be able to hear her. " _It's Akane. I'm sorry to call so early but Ranma's gone._ "

"Akane, easy," she said softly, trying to calm the panicked girl over the phone. "It's okay. Ranma's here."

" _He's there?_ " She sounded slightly relieved.

"He turned up last night. He had a rough night and needed to speak to Inuyasha." She explained, knowing that the girl would be worried. "He's a little distressed right now so he's going to be staying here for today. He's alright but being at school or the dojo wouldn't be the best idea right now."

" _He's okay_?" Akane sounded relieved and worried at the same time.

"He will be," Kagome reassured her. "Like I said, he's going to stay with us here at the shrine for today. Being around a lot of people wouldn't be a good idea today. I'm sure he'd benefit from your company after school though."

" _Are you sure_?"

Kagome glanced to where Inuyasha and Ranma were, seeing Ranma's golden eyes watching her closely, one of his ears focused in on her and she knew he could hear everything. He nodded, indicating that he wanted Akane close. "Absolutely."

She reassured Akane that everything would be okay and that she should make her way to the shrine after school before hanging up. She made her way back over to her hanyous and gently reached up and placed her hand on Ranma's cheek gently, giving him a small smile.

"She really cares about you," she whispered and Ranma looked down, slight conflict in his eyes. "You care about her, don't you?" He looked back up at her and nodded gently. "Then you need to show her that."

Inuyasha snorted and Kagome reached up to tweak his ear, earning another, slightly agitated snort from him as he moved his head out of the way of her abusive fingers.

"Oh!" The three of them looked to the stairs, seeing Natsuko standing there, a hand covering her mouth, her eyes squarely on Ranma. Ranma tensed as she walked towards them, not having seen her since he had become hanyou and instinctively wary, especially when she moved behind him to get closer, seeing as the table was in the way in front of him. Inuyasha could see that Ranma was wary, the skittishness he had had held in the days after his youkai blood had been brought out returning.

"Come on," Ranma suddenly found himself facing the other way, firmly ensconced against Inuyasha as he reoriented himself. He shot the elder hanyou a look, his ears creasing back in displeasure at the sudden movement. "Enough of that." He ducked back when he realised how close Natsuko was to him. "Easy, pup, she just wants to see ya. Don't forget, she's your ancestor too. She's just curious to see ya, that's all."

He peered up at Natsuko, seeing the soft smile on her face. He ducked back as her hand reached over and in a practised move began rubbing the soft fur of his ear. His eyes drifted closed at the sensation and Inuyasha smiled down at the quickly relaxing pup.

"Oh, Kagome," Natsuko breathed, her voice exuding awe at what she was seeing. "He's beautiful."

"He is, isn't he?" Kagome grinned at her mother, seeing that she was completely enthralled with her great-great-grandson – she still refused to acknowledge the extra generations in there.

"Wha's goin' on?" Kagome turned to see Souta standing at the bottom of the stairs, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"It appears we had a visitor during the night," Natsuko responded, not taking her eyes away from the newest hanyou to join their family. She turned to face her son, placing a finger to her lips to indicate he should be quiet.

Souta walked over, his eyes widening as he took in Ranma's new appearance. He could see the distinct differences in Ranma's looks. He noted the claws on the ends of Ranma's fingers, the indent of the canine on his lower lip as he rested against Inuyasha. He could see the streaks of silver in his hair where he remembered it had been solid black before. He had his eyes closed but Souta would bet that if he could see them, they would be the same colour of Inuyasha and the other Inu's currently slumbering upstairs.

And of course, he had the ears that appeared to be a genetic trait among Inuyasha's offspring and descendants. Souta had to say, Inuyasha had strong genes.

"He okay?" He asked, watching as his mom continued her machinations on his ear. "Takes after Inuyasha huh?"

Kagome giggled lightly, nodding as Ranma's eyes opened, fixating on Souta as he stood there. Souta found something unnerving about the scrutiny of the steady golden gaze directed at him. Inuyasha, sensing Souta's unease, nudged Ranma slightly, directing his gaze towards him. Souta gave him a grateful glance and Inuyasha nodded.

"He'll get used to you." Inuyasha said softly, watching as Ranma turned his gaze back to Natsuko who smiled back at him. "This is the first time he's met you since his change. He's gonna be a little wary. Just give him a little time and he'll be alright."

Natsuko gasped a little when Ranma turned his head sharply, his nose coming close to her wrist before sniffing gently. She went to pull away before catching sight of Inuyasha shaking his head, indicating that she should leave it where it was. Thinking back, she realised that he was taking in her scent and she held her hand steady, allowing him to take his time. She smiled down at him when he moved away, seemingly okay with her scent and leaned back down against Inuyasha.

"Souta," Kagome turned towards her brother, gesturing him forward. "Come here. Let him take in your scent."

Natsuko moved away so Ranma didn't feel crowded as Souta knelt down, moving slowly. He had enough experience with Inuyasha to know that if he was running on instincts he would be easily startled. He slowly held his hand towards Ranma, holding his gaze. Ranma blinked, his gaze going towards Souta's hand as he held it by him. Much as he had with Natsuko, Ranma sniffed at Souta's hand and Souta felt the warm puffs of air as the hanyou took in his scent.

"You're okay, pup." Inuyasha let out a low rumble as Ranma deemed Souta's scent okay and settled back into his Alpha as he had done before. "They're family."

"Will he know that?" Souta asked as his mother cleared away the tea things that Inuyasha had prepared before and moved off into the kitchen to get everything ready for breakfast.

"He'll be able to tell through your scent. Both you and your mother share an aspect of your scent with Kagome, who's scent he knows and will link with his own. Once he settles down a little, he'll be able to recognise you as family." Inuyasha explained and Souta nodded, wondering why he was so skittish. "Because you're new." Souta blinked, wondering how he knew what the was thinking.

"But he's met us before. A lot of times."

"That was while he was human," Kagome reassured her brother. "His senses are completely different now as a hanyou. He's had a bit of a rough night which set him on edge. You and mom coming down was a surprise so his instincts have taken over for the moment. I think if he met you any other time he would have been okay but this morning it was a little hard for him. He'll be okay."

"Souta," he turned to his mother, taking his eyes away from the hanyou in front of him. He didn't want to think about what his relationship to him was. It was too confusing to think about. "Go and get in the shower and breakfast will be ready when you're done." He turned back to Ranma and his mother chuckled. "Ranma will still be here when you come back down."

Souta reasoned that the way he was, Ranma wasn't going anywhere anytime soon and got up to jump in the shower.

"So what happened?" Natsuko asked, wiping her hands on a towel before sitting back down, an ear out for the time she had set for breakfast.

"He's been having some dreams," Inuyasha replied, smiling as Ranma's eyes followed Natsuko's hand as she reached for his ear again. He tipped his head back, snorting slightly and Inuyasha couldn't help but grin at the look on his face, reminding him of an inquisitive pup, pupils dilating as he followed her hand. "Unfortunately, it seems that they're actually _my_ memories that have somehow stuck with him from when I drew out his youki. Some stuff that I'd rather he didn't know but it's too late now."

"And that's why he turned up here?" She asked, humour in her voice as she managed to secure his ear and rub it gently between her fingers. His eyes drifted closed and he let out a throaty rumble. "He's adorable."

Kagome giggled again watching contentedly as her mother and her descendant bonded through that simple gesture. "What are we going to do with him today?"

"I'm actually contemplating throwing him in with the pups." Inuyasha admitted. "If he's here then they won't be needed to go out and keep an eye on the chef and the Amazon. They've hardly had any rest since they arrived. I think they've earned a day to snooze."

Kagome nodded, knowing that that would please their three no end. They loved nothing more – just like most Inu's – than to lounge around. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were guilty of that as well. Many times over the last few hundred years, they had been found guilty of shucking their work and could be found in the gardens or curled up somewhere out of the way.

Ranma's eyes shot open when the timer went off, the noise ringing in his ears. Inuyasha had to sympathise. He remembered the first time he had heard the timer go off all those years ago. He had freaked out, not knowing what it was or where it had come from. But, in his defence, he had just arrived from five centuries in the past and had no concept of the modern world.

Ranma was just skittish.

Souta appeared not much longer and Ranma watched as he sat down at the table, eating his breakfast before running out the door, shouting his farewells. Kagome shook her head at her brother's energy. How he was so lively at this time of the morning, she had no idea but then again, he wasn't five hundred years old, she reasoned to herself.

"I'm gonna go put him in with the pups. He should be okay up there." Kagome nodded and wondered how he was going to do that as Ranma didn't appear to want to let go anytime soon.

Inuyasha seemed to realise that as well as he wrapped an arm around Ranma and stood, taking him with him. While Ranma wasn't as tall as Inuyasha, the elder having matured and grown immensely over the centuries. He was now almost the same height as Sesshomaru who had, at one point, towered over the hanyou. In comparison, Ranma seemed so small compared to her mate.

She moved ahead of Inuyasha, pulling the ladder that led into the loft down and quickly making her way up to where her three children were buried in the mound of blankets and furs. She had no idea where any of them were so she let out a high pitched whistle, hearing three different groans coming from within. She made her way to where the closest sound came from, uncovering Kazuhiko who immediately tried to burrow back into the darkness of the blankets.

"Uh, hang on." Kagome reached out and grabbed his chin, smiling to herself as she blinked at her sleepily. "Your father is bringing Ranma up for some rest. Hopefully he'll settle okay up here." Kazuhiko nodded and Kagome folded the blanket back down, reaching out and locating where Izumi and Masaru were curled up.

"Mama," she smiled down as she saw Izumi blinking up at her much the same way Hiko had done. "Is Ranma okay?"

"He's had a rough night." Kagome knelt down as Inuyasha appeared with Ranma. "He needs some rest so your father is bringing him up here with you guys." Izumi nodded and Kagome reached out, scratching behind one of her ears gently.

Inuyasha pulled back the blankets near to where Izumi was and settled Ranma down. She covered Izumi over and smiled as she saw Ranma let out a yawn, showing off his impressive fangs before burrowing down into the blankets and furs just as his aunt and uncles had.

It wouldn't be long before they sensed the newcomer, even in sleep and all curled up in the mound. He would be safe up here with them.


End file.
